The Health Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more articles about health, perhaps inspired by the possibility that we’re finally coming out of the latest pandemic and are thinking and rethinking our notions of how we all can live as healthily as possible. One article that caught my eye was about the Mediterranean Diet, how if you were to start to follow it at age 20, for example, you would have added more than 10 years to your life. If you look at most life expectancy charts by country, you’ll see Italy near the top in longevity (85 years for females and 81 years for males) and you’ll see the United States, sadly, way down the list (81 years for females and 76 years for males).

And you don’t have to start at 20 (or at birth, like the Italians), the article goes on to say. Even starting in your 50s and 60s will reap benefits (a few more healthy years on the planet). Look up these excellent articles, “Estimating Impact of Food Choices on Life Expectancy,” at this site: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35134067/

Or this one, “Consumption of Total Olive Oil and Risk of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality in US Adults,” at this site: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8181296/

Of course, it all starts with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and only the good stuff—2 tablespoons a day! I’ve learned about the benefits of our oil from many people. Fabio, who has been helping care for our trees for many years, has always talked about what his mother called olive oil: la medicina. Here he is picking olives with a willow basket strapped around his waist, and here at lunch (notice the olive oil-soaked piece of bread on the table). He’s healthy and hearty and wants to run the Boston Marathon but is afraid of flying.

 

And there’s Pierino, picking with us in his 80s, along with Armando, the retired town gardener, also in his 80s, both as strong and vigorous as 20-year-olds.

 

So, to those of you who profusely pour, please check your own Bramasole Olive Oil supply!