begeman@mcc-db.UUCP (Michael Begeman) (03/11/85)
The March 1985 issue of Smithsonian (V 15, # 12) has an excellent article on olive oil. Summarized here are a few interesting points: Olive oil is the only edible oil made from a fruit (other oils are from nuts and seeds), and has no added chemicals, additives or solvents. To make the oil, the olives are gathered from the trees and crushed into a paste. This paste is then put into a press, and the liquid that comes out is centrifuged to separate the oil. No refining is necessary for the *good* oil, which brings up quality. Olive oil is graded by Italian law as to % acidity (I don't know if these names can be applied to Spanish and Greek oils). The gradings are: "extra virgin" less than 1% acidity "super-fine virgin" less than 1.5% acidity "fine virgin" less than 3%, and "simple virgin" less than 4%. Note that oil sold in the US as "pure olive oil" or just "olive oil" is a blend of virgin and refined oils (the Italians consider "refined" oils as suitable for use in lamps, never on food...). For those interested in olive oil, the article is a must. Some beautiful pictures of Italy, the trees, and the oil-making process round it out.
jeff@rtech.ARPA (Jeff Lichtman) (03/12/85)
> The March 1985 issue of Smithsonian (V 15, # 12) has an excellent article > on olive oil. Summarized here are a few interesting points: > > Olive oil is the only edible oil made from a fruit (other oils are from > nuts and seeds)... Avocado oil is also made from a fruit. -- Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.) aka Swazoo Koolak
nemo@rochester.UUCP (Wolfe) (03/20/85)
I recently heard on NPR that olive oil was found to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Has anyone else heard anything more solid on this? Nemo
eagan@druxp.UUCP (EaganMS) (03/21/85)
I have heard that it is the polyunsaturated oils that reduce cholesterol. As far as I know olive oil is not one of these oils. Perhaps there is something else in olive oil that reducses cholesterol? One such polyunsaturated oil is corn oil.
lazeldes@wlcrjs.UUCP (Leah A Zeldes) (04/04/85)
In article <714@druxp.UUCP> eagan@druxp.UUCP (EaganMS) writes: >I have heard that it is the polyunsaturated oils that reduce cholesterol. >As far as I know olive oil is not one of these oils. Recent studies have indicated that monounsaturates do the same thing as polyunsaturates. Olive oil is a monounsaturated oil. That's all I know about this -- I read it in a newspaper filler article. -- Leah A Zeldes ...ihnp4!wlcrjs!lazeldes [Note: Chi-net is about to go off-line for an unknown amount of time. Please send responses by regular mail to 2007 W. Howard, Evanston, IL 60202]