Why are Olives the Main Fruit in Olivino?
I’m often asked why I chose Olives as the primary fruit in Olivino. Do you know? If your answer is: “because olives contain healthy fat?” - you’re partly right. Read on to learn the rest of the answer - and what makes Olivino healthy and unique.
The olive tree [Olea europaea], native to the Mediterranean region, is one of the oldest tree species. Olives, the fruit of the olive tree, are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), primarily oleic acid. MUFAs account for 55-83% of the total fatty acid content. Butter, by comparison, contains about 6% MUFA. Overwhelming research shows that consuming MUFA in place of other types of fats, particularly saturated fat, benefits your cardiovascular system. In fact, in a recent review of 42 studies involving 841,211 subjects, those who consumed the highest level of MUFA experienced significantly less heart disease, including 12% less cardiovascular disease mortality and 17% less stroke. [i]
But there is more to olives than healthy fat…
The health properties of olives are only partly related to the MUFA content. Olives also contain other components with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Those compounds are known as polyphenols. There is also overwhelming research that olive polyphenols are important to health [ii] - and not just heart health. But the polyphenolic content of olives is highly variable and depends on cultural variety (hundreds of olive varieties exist), the ripeness of the fruit and many other factors.
The olive extract in Olivino is the highest in antioxidants.
The olive extract used in Olivino is unique. First, the olives used in Olivino are from Coratina olives, a highly prized cultural variety grown in Southern Italy. Second, it is from the FRUIT of the olives, not the leaves. Although both leaves and fruit can be used for obtaining healthy bioactives, the olive fruit extract used in Olivino is particularly high in verbascoside, which is considered to be the most potent of the antioxidant polyphenols in the olive-fruit. [iii] In addition to verbascoside, Coratina olives contain all the major polyphenolics of the olive fruit. Finally: verbascoside – fortunately - remains stable during processing, so all the goodness comes to you.
Most of us don’t consume olives or Extra Virgin Olive Oil on a daily basis. And unfortunately, only 5% of Americans consume a Mediterranean Diet. We recognize the importance - but difficulty – of changing dietary habits. A partial solution: Olivino is a convenient way to get the health benefits of Olives, a key fruit in the Mediterranean diet.
[i] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4198773/