The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet are well known and many folks have adopted the foods that are the basis for it. We know that it is loaded with fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Mediterranean diet is probably the ultimate diet necessary to benefit preemptive aging. What is not as well known is that the component that together with the other foods is the source of many of the Mediterranean diet’s health benefits. It turns out that particular compounds in olive oil, namely the olive oil polyphenols, contribute greatly to the diet’s health benefits.
The history of the Mediterranean diet stretches back thousands of years and its health benefits are well documented. This diet is rich in fresh vegetables and fruits, fish, wine, lean meat, whole grains and especially olive oil. The benefits have been documents over many years up to the present time. The health benefits include a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower incidences of cancers, and neurological disorders. Recent research has verified that the polyphenols in olive oil, combined with the omega-3 from fish and resveratrol from red wine work synergistically to produce the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.