Extra virgin olive oil: properties and benefits

We all know that healthy eating is essential to living well and enjoying excellent health. At EMÉS, located in Toritto, Apulia, we produce almonds, organic vegetables and thanks to our state of the art EVO oil mill, an artisanal extra virgin olive oil of superior quality. It is our pride: an artisanal product made without the use of chemicals to maintain all its essential nutrients.

We also like to talk about it at tasting events, not only telling our guests about how it is organically and sustainably made, but also about its precious benefits and how it is indispensable for a healthy lifestyle. We want to tell you something more about this precious fruit of the earth, which is native to our beloved territory. Thus, we invite you to read our in-depth analysis.

What is extra virgin olive oil good for?

Extra virgin olive oil is known to be good for your health. It is an excellent ingredient that should be present in a healthy lifestyle and in your pantry. It is certainly a better choice than butter or animal fats as a condiment. Tasty for cooking, roasting, frying, and seasoning, it is known for its properties and virtues, such as protecting against heart disease and being anti-inflammatory.

Here are some of the beneficial properties of extra virgin olive oil:

• Its monounsaturated fatty acids are good for the heart.
• Thanks to a molecule called oleocanthal, similar to ibuprofen, it acts as an anti-inflammatory and painkiller.
• It is rich in vitamins and minerals and recommended by nutritionists in diets.
• It is a source of vitamin E, acts as an antioxidant and protects against premature aging by fighting free radicals. Furthermore, it plays an important role in preventing the production of cancer cells.
• Its vitamin K content is essential for bones, calcium regulation and vitamin D absorption, blood clotting and heart health.
• It contains oleuropein, a substance that protects against numerous diseases and health conditions, such as diabetes.

A spoonful of oil in the morning

It is well known that some foods have beneficial effects on our body. Drinking extra virgin olive oil in the morning on an empty stomach can prove to be a real cure-all:

• It increases good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood and decreases bad cholesterol (LDL) which causes heart attacks and strokes.
• It acts as a liver cleanser.
• It strengthens the immune system.
• It strengthens nails and hair.
• It helps memory.
• It does not clog blood vessels, thus promoting blood circulation.
• It reduces gastritis problems.

Above all, it helps the digestive system and intestines to perform their functions better. One or two spoonfuls of oil, preferably raw, a day are sufficient to obtain the right benefits. The positive health effects of extra virgin olive oil are truly many, but for this to happen the oil must be artisanal and of excellent quality.

How to recognise a good extra virgin olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil, due to its high production cost, is one of the most counterfeited food products in the world, but only a real extra virgin oil brings benefits to our body. In order for it to be labeled and sold as "extra virgin" it must respect strict production parameters and organoleptic characteristics. Once the olives have reached maturity they must be harvested by hand, washed, the leaves removed and the pressing carried out with cold mechanical methods without chemicals. This way they preserve all their antioxidants, minerals, enzymes, vitamins and phenols. Extra virgin olive oil must have an acidity level of less than 0.8%.

There are some tips you can follow to recognise a good extra virgin olive oil, beyond reading the label. For example, through the "panel test", an organoleptic analysis regulated by European standards, the smell and flavour of the oil are evaluated. To the palate its taste must be bitter (which can be light, medium or intense), green or ripe fruit-forward (which can be light, medium or intense) and spicy (which can be light, medium or intense). As a scent it must have the smell of fresh olives and freshly cut grass.

So use your senses to discover our oil, you will be satisfied.  

EMÉS extra virgin olive oil

If, like us, you are not satisfied with just any oil of dubious origin, visit our online shop and discover the Apulian extra virgin olive oil of our production, or come and visit us at our organic farm in Toritto, in Via Lama di Grotta.