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The Mediterranean diet has long been hailed as cutting the risk of a heart attack, with olive oil hailed as the key ingredient.
Scientists believe they have pinpointed the micronutrients in the oil that make it a good heart protector and say introducing it to a diet can have a significant impact.
New research suggests that Britons are taking the advice on board. Annual sales have hit £104m - up 39% since 2000, according to market analysts Mintel.
More money is spent on olive oil than standard oils, such as vegetable and sunflower oil, according to the Edible Oils report."The popularity of olive oil has not only been helped by its aspirational value, but also by its association with Mediterranean cooking and the health claims linked with this way of life," says Claire Birks, senior market analyst at Mintel.
Olive trees were cultivated in the Mediterranean as long ago as 3000 BC. It is the unadulterated juice of crushed olives and contains no additives or preservatives.
It is an oil high in monounsaturates, which means it can help to control cholesterol levels as part of a healthy balanced diet. And its high vitamin E content helps to stave off heart disease.
£65 bottles
The prevention of skin, breast and colon cancer has been linked to properties such as oleic acid and phenols, found in olive oil.
Italy, Spain and Greece are the largest producers. Within each country there is huge diversity of regional flavour and styles, and more than 80 varieties of olives are used in the production of olive oil.
Geoff Davies, director of the Italian Olive Oil Company, based in Sussex, sells top-of-the-range olive oil. It is Italian, single estate, first cold stone pressed, extra-virgin olive oil. He says people thought he was a fool when he started his business four years ago."I was selling premier olive oil at £35 for half a litre. Now I consistently sell out of that oil every year and even sell better oil at £65 for half a litre. Olive oil is like wine, when it's gone, it's gone. You can't make it up like engine oil.
"Most people in the UK now have olive in their kitchen. It might be bad quality, but they have it. They are aware of the health benefits and I think it's also because most people now go abroad. They taste it in Mediterranean countries, like it, and so buy it when they are back home."
The research suggests the most likely consumer is in social class AB, lives in London or the South East and is aged 45 to 54. A separate study says Waitrose and Sainsbury's sell the most.
Dietician Azmina Govindji, of the British Dietetic Association, says publicity about olive oil's link with longevity, plus the influence of celebrity chefs, are key factors in its popularity. And this is one health message that has got through."When we encourage people to eat foods, it's always much better received than when we suggest they don't eat it. So actually being allowed to enjoy a food that you would consider to be an indulgence or even banned, is very attractive.
"This is also propelled by the consensus of opinion amongst scientists about the value of olive oil as part of a balanced eating plan."
Given the premium pricing, it's no surprise consumers tend to be wealthier, she says, so she advises her patients that rapeseed oil has similar properties and is much cheaper.
Add your comments on this story, using the form below.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I buy more olive oil
these days for four simple reasons: Firstly it imparts a better flavour
to the food cooked in it than vegetable oil, secondly, I have young
children and therefore tend not to use ground-nut oil any more,
thirdly, unlike corn oil, it is highly unlikely to have GM produce in
it, and finally the price of it has come down in recent years because
more people want it. For roasting and deep frying however, you
absolutely cannot beat LARD and DRIPPING!
Malk Williams, Leighton Buzzard, UK
I think this article misses another reason why people
buy olive oil: it tastes nice. You can make a simple salad dressing
just with olive oil and salt and pepper: it enhances the flavour. Run
out of pasta sauces? Throw on some olive oil, seasoning and parmesan
(or cheddar for that matter).
Al, St Albans, UK
As a British expat for a US NGO, I have been working in
the Republic of Montenegro since 2003 and more recently one aspect of
our work has been on the development/ regeneration of the olive oil
industry in the (Mediterranean) coastal regions of this Republic. Part
of our work is also to attempt to increase the production and quality
of the oil to enable it to get into the export market. I would
therefore be very interested to hear from anybody that is interested in
hearing more about the presently untapped olive oil industry potential
here to see if there would be any areas of collaboration in the near
future.
Robert Harris, Budva, Montenegro.
I am Greek and I have olive tree fields that produce
about 500 litres of PURE ORGANIC olive oil per year. In addition, my
fields are in Peloponnese, which together with the olive oil produced
in Crete are accredited as the best olive oils in the whole world! One
thing is for sure though, my olive oil, which is of the best quality
you could find anywhere, costs maximum £4 per litre! After reading the
BBC article above, I am thinking now of marketing my olive oil in UK at
£70 per litre and make a profit of £66 (per litre)! Thank you Geoff
Davies for the advice!
Roula, Bradford, UK
As far as I'm concerned, the reason I use olive oil is
that it tastes good. I've given up buying anything based on the
so-called health benefits, because the 'experts' change their minds on
what constitutes good and bad every five minutes.
Kate Gilderdale, Stouffville, Ontario, Canada
£65 per half litre! I can't imagine many people in the
Mediterranean would be so deluded as to pay that much for oil. No doubt
next year they'll be paying hundreds for double fermented vintage soy
sauce - if they don't already.
Simon, Works UK
Like most of the foodstuffs available in our
supermarkets, there is a massive range of quality in olive oil. Price
is usually an indication of quality but not always. Look for and spend
a little extra on at least extra-virgin oil but preferably first cold
pressed. The cheap stuff may have some taste of olive but it contains
about as much of the good stuff as the vegetable oil next to it.
Simon, Essaouira, Morocco
I can't understand the fuss - Olive oil tastes, well,
*oily* to me, and I don't care for it. I'd rather have my salad with no
dressing at all...and I'm pretty sure that's even healthier.
Olive oil should be treated with respect as one would treat a good
wine. Care should be taken to not overheat olive oil if cooking with
it. Here in France we add some water to the oil if it is to be used to
'seal' meat before braising, to prevent the oil from becoming 'harmful'
instead of healthy. It should not be used to replace 'cooking oil'.
Jackie May, FRANCE
The production of rapeseed oil (comment by Azmina
Govindji in this article) is causing the destruction of forest and
animal habitats across South East Asia, the production of olive oil,
isn't.
Kenneth Jessett, Houston, USA
It's only in the UK, not surprisingly that olive oil is
seen as almost glamorous. Elsewhere, all over the world, it is a staple
product, and therefore cheap. And what does the premium oil have to
offer over the less refined/blended ones?
Andrew Plumb, Bollington, Cheshire/ Los Angeles, USA
The health properties of olive oil are only found in
Virgin or Extra Virgin olive oil (less than 1º acidity). Beware of
buying other olive oil, as it is only recycled and has gone through
industrial cycles that destroy these great properties.
Seb Sheppard, Zufre, Huelva, Spain
My love of Olive Oil started with the first episode of Popeye.
Sean Brown, Dundee, UK
I am 28 and for the last 5 years have used Olive oil. I
think the man running in the Olivo advert does it for me. We all have
to take healthy living on board and although I have no heart or health
problems I believe prevention is better than cure and wish the
government would clamp down on unhealthy foods and make it less
expensive for the healthy foods. That way people from deprived areas
have the option also.
Louise, Lancashire
There is probably not that much wrong with consuming
olive oil, but in terms of fighting heart disease the correlation is
weak at best. Far better advice would be to avoid using vegetable oils
and margarine (containing hydrogenated fat).
Chris, London
My girlfriend is highly allergic to olives, and by
extension olive oil. What used to be a minor inconvenience has now
effectively seen us barred from most restaurants. Even should be
safe-havens like Indian and Mexican foods are becoming no-go.
Alan J. Brown, Glasgow, Scotland
3,000 years ago Greece & Southern Italy were lush
green lands. Now they're barren. The culprit isn't global warming- its
the olive tree. Olive tree's have a single big root that doesn't bind
the soil properly. Olive groves lead to massive soil loss. The rise in
olive oil consumption isn't all good news.
Peter, Nottingham
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