Dr. Miguel Ángel Martínez, professor at the University of Navarra, Spanish doctor, epidemiologist, and researcher, is an expert in nutrition and the Mediterranean diet. He has recently collaborated with the publication Olivatessen, and in his interview he tells us about the importance of extra virgin olive oil for our health.
From QvExtra International, we would like to share with you his words and knowledge, as well as his love for such a wonderful product as EVOO:
Extra virgin olive, a gift for your health
“We find ourselves in a historic moment when maintaining a high-quality dietary pattern matters more than ever, because the body’s response to a possible COVID19 infection depends largely on what we eat. While I believe that there is no ‘superfood’ that alone replaces the goodness of a complete dietary pattern, there are some foods that undoubtedly provide special protection, and have very important characteristics.
This is the case of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), whose benefits are confirmed by the best scientific evidence. For example, as I explain in “¿Qué comes? Ciencia y conciencia para resistir” (Planeta 2020) [In English; “What do you eat? Science and awareness for resistance”], in the tests with Mediterranean diet which we have carried out, EVOO provided 20% or more of total daily calorie intake. Other ‘superfoods’ provide no more than 3-4%. In addition, EVOO is one of the most privileged foods. Equipped with nutrients of the highest quality, it is the best fat source that exists, and a natural regulator of cholesterol in the blood (it reduces bad cholesterol and maintains the good one, which protects you from arteriosclerosis). It lowers blood pressure and has also been shown that to reduce the risk of suffering a first heart attack or stroke by 30%. Furthermore, its consumption, always framed within a high quality global dietary pattern, such as the traditional Mediterranean Diet, and linked to a healthy lifestyle, generates a strong shield against cancer. These are just a few headlines of the gifts that EVOO offers to health. Moreover, its flavour, versatility and gastronomic richness leave nothing to be desired.
I highly recommend EVOO as a regular culinary ingredient. A product with a natural virtue that, as has been proven, helps the body in its preparation to fight disease.”
Signed by: Dr. MIGUEL ÁNGEL MARTÍNEZ.
PhD, Univ. Navarra (Prof. & Chair, Prev. Med. & Public Health)
Harvard TH Chan School Public Health, Dpt. Nutrition (Adjunct Prof.).
CIBEROBN (Group Coordinator)
