Extra-virgin olive oil has a place in the Mediterranean diet. The 2018 PREDIMED reanalysis found fewer cardiovascular events with Mediterranean diets supplemented with olive oil or nuts in the high-risk participants studied. The finding concerns an overall dietary pattern; it does not show that an individual olive oil prevents disease. [Harvard — PREDIMED: analisi corretta del 2018]
The European claim concerning olive-oil polyphenols and protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress requires at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives per 20 g of oil. An “extra-virgin” label alone is insufficient: analytical evidence is needed to establish that a product meets the requirements. [Commissione europea — polifenoli dell’olio, registro dei claim]
Our journal distinguishes research findings from documented product characteristics. We discuss food and the enjoyment of cooking without attributing unverified therapeutic properties to Cook with Olive Oil.