Posted by Al Pryzbylski on May 03, 2011 0 Comments
Written by Leo Galland, M.D.
Could a traditional food have pain- and inflammation-reducing effects similar to over the counter pain medicine like ibuprofen?
Scientists from Italy, Spain, the U.S. and Australia have discovered that extra virgin olive oil can provide significant health benefits, including the ability to help reduce pain and inflammation.
This robust, flavorful oil is an example of the food as medicine concept, that foods can have a powerful impact on health.
A Mythical, Sacred Oil
From ancient Greece to the Holy Land, olive oil has been treasured. Celebrated as sacred in Greek mythology, the olive branch symbolized peace in Hellenic culture. Evidence of this ancient oil was discovered in 1901 at the "Room of the Olive Press" at Knossos on the island of Crete in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. From there olives were pressed into oil over 4,500 years ago and the olive oil was exported to North Africa and mainland Greece.
Cultivation of olive trees spread around the Mediterranean where olive oil flourished along with many early civilizations. The bible speaks of olive oil, and it has been used by Christianity and Judaism as a holy anointing oil.
Today, the major producers of olive oil are Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Turkey, Morocco and Syria.
But the growing popularity of olive oil can be seen in the spread of cultivation around the world to countries such as the U.S., Chile, and South Africa. Australia has become an energetic olive oil producer and exporter, and has just announced a record crop.
During travels with my family from the south of France to Tuscany to Greece I have witnessed the special beauty of the olive tree and tasted its fruit. Able to withstand heat, sun and survive on only a little moisture, the hardy olive tree became an icon of the Mediterranean region. Freezing temperatures, however, can harm the trees and the crop.
Eating Healthy With Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil can contribute nutritional support in the fight against such health problems as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, and in pain management.
A research study from Spain has shown that higher olive oil consumption is associated with leaner body weight, an important factor in prevention of chronic conditions.
Another study from the universities of Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain looked at how diets including olive oil might offer protection against depression: Bad Fats Linked to Depression
Natural Painkiller Discovered in Olive Oil
Recent research has identified the antioxidant called oleocanthal, which is only found in extra-virgin olive oil. Scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, in Philadelphia, found that oleocanthal in olive oil has a potency strikingly similar to that of the drug ibuprofen in inhibiting the cyclooxygenase (Cox) enzyme that causes pain and inflammation. Their findings were published in the science magazine Nature.
Given the side effects of common pain relieving drugs, finding a nutritional way to reduce pain and inflammation could be a solution for people suffering from pain.
In another study Italian researchers explain that the characteristic pungent and bitter taste of virgin olive oil have been attributed to phenols in the oil that have potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive and anti-cancer benefits.
Research on Health Benefits of Olive Oil
At the meeting of the "International conference on the healthy effect of virgin olive oil" that took place in Spain in 2005, numerous benefits of virgin olive oil from the research were outlined. They looked at the consumption of olive oil from the perspective of issues such as cardiovascular health, cancer and longevity. With respect to anti-aging they noted: "The more recent studies consistently support that the Mediterranean diet, based in virgin olive oil, is compatible with a healthier ageing and increased longevity."
Consumption of olive oil has been associated with:
- Reduction of total cholesterol and an increase in the high-density cholesterol (HDL-C), which has a protective effect on blood vessels.
- Improved sensitivity of cells to insulin, which helps to prevent the Metabolic Syndrome. Preventing Metabolic Syndrome is important, because the syndrome increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
- Decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and Alzheimer's disease.
Potent Antioxidant Power of Olive Oil
Phenolic compounds are potent antioxidants found in virgin and extra-virgin olive oil. These compounds give unrefined olive oils their distinctive flavors and high degree of stability.
Studies indicate these compounds may be able to:
- Turn off the activity of genes that produce the kind of inflammation that causes coronary heart disease.
- Decrease production of inflammatory chemicals called thromboxanes and leukotrienes.
- Decrease the production of the most damaging form of cholesterol, oxidized LDL cholesterol.
- University of South Australia researchers note that compounds from the olive were found to be antimicrobial against various bacteria.
And olive oil is just the beginning of anti-inflammatory foods. Learn more about fighting pain and inflammation in my article:
Natural Anti- Inflammatory Foods and Supplements That Help Arthritis
Enjoying Olive Oil
The research studies focus on the benefits of extra-virgin olive oil, so this is what I always buy. I look for organic oil that has been grown without pesticides. Freshness counts, so I like shop where they sell a lot of oil, such as a big health food store. Store it in a cool place.
The amount of olive oil associated with protection against inflammation is only two teaspoons a day, which is easy to achieve. A sprinkle of olive oil makes a simple salad dressing, and a little oil can be used for dipping bread, instead of butter. Olive oil can also be used in baking.
Here is a popular tangy and sweet recipe from my book
The Fat Resistance Diet, an anti-inflammatory dietary program.
Posted by Al Pryzbylski on May 02, 2011 0 Comments
Extra virgin olive oil decreases in flavor and health benefits over time. Fresh crushed olive oil is like fresh squeezed fruit juice in that it contains the most flavor and nutrients. Old, poorly made and improperly stored extra virgin olive oil yields fewer if any health benefits and less desirable flavor.
Becoming intimately familiar with a particular extra virgin olive oil's flavor characteristics and chemistry i.e. antioxidant content, oleic acid, FFA, and crush date will help you make an educated decision about which olive oil is right for you.
Crucial Olive Oil Chemistry Definition Key
Oleic Acid: is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid found in olive oil. Olive oil is generally higher in oleic acid than other vegetable fats. The range found in extra virgin olive oil is between 55-83%. Extra virgin olive oil high in oleic acid has greater resistance to oxidation.
FFA: Based on USDA & IOOC (International Olive Oil Council) standards the maximum limit for free fatty acid in extra virgin olive oil is 0.8g per 100g or (.8%). A low FFA is desirable. Free fatty acid speaks to the condition of the fruit at the time of crush. The higher the FFA the greater the indication of poor quality fruit such as damaged, overripe, insect infestation, overheating during production or too much delay between harvest and crush.
Peroxide Value: Based on USDA & IOOC (International Olive Oil Council) standards the maximum peroxide value for extra virgin olive oil is 20. A very low peroxide value is desirable. Unsaturated free fatty acids react with oxygen and form peroxides, which create a series of chain reactions that generate volatile substances responsible for a typical musty/rancid oil smell. These reactions are accelerated by high temperature, light and oxygen exposure.
Polyphenol Count: Polyphenols are a class of antioxidants found in a variety of foods. Polyphenols such as Oleuropein, Oleocanthal, and hydroxytyrosol impart intensity connected with pepper, bitterness and other desirable flavor characteristics. Recent studies indicate that these potent phenols are responsible for many of the health benefits associated with consuming fresh, high quality extra virgin olive oil. Phenols in olive oil decrease over time or when exposed to heat, oxygen and light. Consuming fresh, well made olive oil with high polyphenol content is crucial when looking to obtain the maximum health benefit commonly associated with consuming extra virgin olive oil.
Posted by Al Pryzbylski on April 12, 2011 0 Comments
Tuscan White Bean Spread
1 pound of dried, rinsed Cannellini (Great Northern White) beans
2” sprig of fresh rosemary
4 cups low salt chicken or vegetable stock and water to cover beans
1 medium onion, diced
2 whole garlic cloves, smashed
One large carrot, peeled and diced
large celery rib, diced
2 oz. can of diced tomatoes in juice
2 teaspoons sea salt
Pepper to taste
For Finishing
¼ cup + 2 Tbs. fresh pressed, Bella Gusta California Mission Gold Medal extra virgin olive oil
In a 6 quart or larger stock pot, add all of the ingredients except the olive oil. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered for approximately 4 hours or until the beans are tender and fully cooked through. Add more water as necessary. Allow the beans to cool completely.
In the bowl of a food processor, ladle two cups of cooked beans along with liquid they were cooked in. Add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and process until smooth or desired consistency is reached. Serve at room temperature drizzled with two tablespoons of our reserved early harvest, fresh pressed extra virgin olive oil. The spread can be served with crudités, crackers, pita, or crusty bread.
Makes approximately 2 ½ cups white bean spread
Posted by Al Pryzbylski on April 12, 2011 0 Comments
A Family Favorite
Ingredients:
Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast
Bella Gusta Wild Mushroom and Sage Olive Oil
Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Fresh Sliced Mushrooms - 1 package
Chicken Broth -1 can
Fresh Chopped Parsley
Salt and Pepper
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Preheat oven to 350
Generously brush chicken breasts (both sides) with Wild Mushroom and Sage Olive Oil.
Roll chicken in bread crumbs, place in a Corning type glass baking dish.
Cover chicken with sliced mushrooms, drizzle some extra Mushroom Sage oil over the top.
lightly salt & pepper and dust with chopped parsley.
Add chicken broth (around sides of dish)
Bake for 35-45 minutes, until juices run clear when poked.
** Serve with a nice seasoned brown rice and fresh asparagus.
Posted by Al Pryzbylski on April 08, 2011 0 Comments
Today I wanted to address some confusion surrounding the terms fused and infused, and hopefully shed light on the two different processes used to flavor extra virgin olive oils.
First off, lets talk about "fused" olive oil or what is also referred to as "agrumato" in Italy. Agrumato olive oil is made by crushing ripe, sound olives with whole, fresh fruits, herbs or vegetables at the time of crush. In the winter, at our mill in Tunisia, citrus fruit is picked at the peak of ripeness, split in half and then thrown in with the olives. The olives and fruit are then crushed simultaneously. This process allows for the essential oils from the citrus peel to mingle with the oil from the olives. By the way, ripe olives contain up to 20% oil but the majority of an olive is comprised of water. The waste water from the citrus and olives are centrifuged away and the result is a bright, fresh, fused citrus olive oil.
More than 90% of the world's fused or agrumato olive oil is made in the Northern Hemisphere. Because agrumato is typically made from ripe olives at the end of the season, the window for crushing in the Northern Hemisphere is in the winter, usually between mid December and late January. With few exceptions, many fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs are unavailable during these cold winter months. More often than not, when one sees a product claiming that it is an agrumato chili oil or agrumato basil oil, the mill is either adding frozen or freeze dried product to the olives at the time of crush, or simply lying about the process and actually infusing olive oil after the fact.
Infusing is the process of adding flavor to olive oil after it has been made. For some, infusing olive oil is nothing more than attempt to cover up poor quality, defective, old oil. The problem with this strategy is that regardless of what flavoring is added to poor quality olive oil to mask it, the rancidity, and other negative attributes will still be evident underneath. Furthermore, synthetic chemicals and flavors are often implemented as flavoring agents because they are more cost effective than, say, essential oils, concentrates or extracts. This "garbage in, garbage out" mentality is rampant in the industry where aesthetics and health take a backseat to the bottom line.
In the test kitchen, when formulating our infused extra virgin olive oils, we have a simple mandate to adhere to. The infused extra virgin olive oils that we make will use the freshest extra virgin olive oils available in our collection that are most aesthetically compatible with the natural products we use to flavor them with. This simple mandate requires that the chemistry, freshness and quality of our infused olive oil are second to none. We are not in the business of flavoring a single oil from a single hemisphere. We painstakingly move our infused collection to coincide with the fresh crush. It is a labor of love that we hope you find evident in the flavor, freshness and quality of our products
Posted by Al Pryzbylski on April 08, 2011 0 Comments
BARCELONA, Spain—Olive oil polyphenols promote the growth of antibodies that help reduce oxidative low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which could help reduce hardening of the arteries, according to a recently published study from the
EUROLIVE Study Group (
Clin Nutr. 2011 Mar 2. DOI:10.1016/j.clnu.2011.01.013). What’s more, the researchers found olive oil polyphenols encourage the antibodies to grow even more in subjects who experience higher lipid oxidative damage.
Researchers, who span Europe from Spain, Denmark and Finland to Germany and Italy, assigned 200 healthy men to three-week sequences of 25 mL/day of three olive oils with high (366 mg/kg), medium (164 mg/kg) and low (2.7 mg/kg) phenolic content in a crossover, controlled trial. They studied the plasma concentration of oxidized LDL auto antibodies (OLAB), which have shown in previous studies to protect against atherosclerosis.
Olive oil phenolic content increased OLAB generation, with the effect being stronger at higher concentrations of oxidized LDL (P=0.020 for interaction). A direct relationship was observed between OLAB and the total olive oil phenol content in LDL (R=0.209; P=0.014). OLAB concentrations, adjusted for oxidized LDL, increased directly in a dose-dependent manner with the polyphenol content of the olive oil administered (P=0.023). Plasma OLAB concentration was inversely associated with oxidized LDL (P<0.001).
This study was the latest from the EUROLIVE consortium, which focuses on the study of the health benefits of virgin and common olive oil in prevention of pathologies that affect cardiovascular function and their cost/benefit ratio. The group conducts studies in humans designed to obtain scientific evidence on the impact of olive oil, and its phenolic compounds, on oxidative stress and damage in several European populations. In all studies, the three types of olive oils (low, medium and high phenolic content) are administered to healthy volunteers.
Previous studies from the group have reported not only the monounsaturated fatty acid content of olive oil is responsible for the protective effects of the oil on health; the polyphenols present in olive oil, and mainly in virgin olive oil, also have a protective role on cardiovascular risk. Specifically, a 2007-published study found the polyphenol content of an olive oil can account for further benefits on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and oxidative damage than those provided by the monounsaturated fatty acid content of the olive oil (
Ann Intern Med. 2007 Mar 6;146(5):394).
Posted by Lynda Przybylski on April 03, 2011 0 Comments
Pork Tenderloin w/Bacon & Porcini Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- 1/4 C + 2T Bella Gusta Porcini Oil
- 2 lbs Pork Tenderloin
- ½ lb Bacon
- 1T Garlic, finely chopped
- 1t Rosemary, finely chopped
- 1/3C Bella Gusta 18-Yr Aged Balsamic Vinegar
- 2T Dark molasses
- 1T Parsley, chopped
- Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Season pork with salt and pepper and brown in 3T of Porcini oil. Brown for 3-5 minutes. Put in oven and roast until internal temp is 165 degrees. Then transfer to a platter and keep warm. Pour cooking juices from pan over meat. Cook bacon in pan until crisp, then chop. Drain all but 2T bacon grease. Add garlic to pan and sauté until light brown. Add rosemary. Remove from heat and add balsamic. Stir while adding molasses.
To finish sauce, return pan to heat and stir in parsley, bacon, remaining Porcini oil, and remaining juices from meat.
When ready to serve, slice meat 1/4" thick and arrange on plates. Spoon sauce over meat. Serves 4.
Posted by Al Pryzbylski on March 30, 2011 0 Comments
Fusion Pasta
This is a fusion of Spanish and Italian flavors. Common to both are the capers and olives. The corn is unique to Mexican cooking, but it blends well with the pasta. The pine nuts and the corn add a unique texture to the dish.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 16 ounces, Farfalle (Bow Tie) Pasta
- 1 can, corn kernels (Niblets) - drained
- 4 garlic cloves - coarsely chopped
- 1 can, chopped tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons, parsley - chopped
- 24 green olives - halved
- 2 tablespoons, capers
- 1 cup, chicken broth
- 1 cup, homemade spaghetti sauce
- 3 tablespoons, Bella Gusta extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup, red wine
- 3 tablespoons, pine nuts
- 1 large, red pepper - roasted
- kosher salt - to taste
- sugar - to taste
- fresh ground black pepper - to taste
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Method
- Roast the red pepper over an open gas flame turning frequently. When blackened over most of its surface allow to cool and place in a sealed plastic bag. Let the pepper rest for a least 10 - 15 minutes.
- Toast pine nuts in a small Teflon pan and reserve.
- Start pasta water boiling. Add a bit of salt. When boiling add pasta.
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in large Teflon pan. When hot add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Do not allow garlic to overcook as it will become bitter. Add corn. Cook over high heat until all moisture disappears and corn begins to brown. Add chopped tomatoes. Cook until moisture disappears. Grind in some black pepper. Add parsley and wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add a bit of sugar and taste. You want to get rid of any acidity. Add spaghetti sauce and half of the chicken broth bring to a boil.
- Remove pepper from bag and rinse under cold water until all the black skin is removed. Cut off top of pepper and remove seeds. Slice into thin strips and add to sauce. Add the olives and capers and heat.
- When pasta is firm but not quite done, strain. Add most of the pasta (you have to judge the proportions, it will not take all of it) and the rest of the chicken broth and mix. The pasta will finish cooking and absorb the flavor of the sauce. Add pine nuts. Heat and toss.
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Posted by Al Pryzbylski on March 30, 2011 0 Comments
30 Cloves and a Chicken
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 6 pieces, boneless skinless chicken breast
- 6 TBSP, Bella Gusta EVOO (any single varietal)
- 10 sprigs, thyme
- 30 cloves, garlic - peeled
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup, dry white wine
- 1 cup, chicken stock
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Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Season chicken with salt and pepper
- Toss with olive oil and brown on both sides in a wide fry pan or skillet over high heat
- Remove from heat, add wine, stock, thyme, and garlic cloves
- Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours
- Remove chicken from oven, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes
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Posted by Al Pryzbylski on March 27, 2011 0 Comments
1/2 cup Bella Gusta Blood Orange EVOO
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp grated orange zest
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup of chicken stock
1 pound of rigatoni
2 TBS of capers
1/4 cup minced parsley
salt and pepper
In a saute pan heat oil over medium temp, add onions and saute until cleared (6-8 minutes), add zest, garlic and saute until softened. Reduce heat to low and add chicken stock. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes or until slightly reduced.
In a seperate pot, cook rigatoni until al dente, drain. Toss with onion mixture, add capers, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4, or is a great side for chicken / fish dishes.
