By Dietitian – Nutritionist Stavris Mylona
Olive oil – why raw?
The Mediterranean diet has been at the center of scientific studies for several years because of its enormous health benefits. For example, it has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as reducing the risk of stroke, heart attack, as well as reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Of course, extra virgin olive oil is one of the main elements of the Mediterranean diet. It is classified as ‘good fat’ as it belongs to the category of monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are usually in liquid form at room temperature, while saturated fats, the ‘bad fats’, are solid and this can be a good way to tell the difference between the two.
In particular, extra virgin olive oil has the highest content of monounsaturated fats of all oils. The oils are extracted by mechanical crushing and compression. If bottled immediately after this process, we have as a product the extra virgin olive oil, which contains natural taste and color and is full of minerals and vitamins. In addition, it can help improve cholesterol levels, contains high levels of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties that can also reduce the mortality rate of people at increased risk of heart disease.
So the question is why is it recommended to use extra virgin olive oil raw? The reason is that this type of olive oil has a low smoking point (low smoking point), so it is not suitable for baking and frying. Such high temperatures change its composition. Fatty acids begin to break down into harmful compounds for health, the taste is altered and the levels of antioxidants and vitamins are significantly reduced. Thus, it is recommended to use extra virgin olive oil raw, where it can be added to salads, boiled vegetables and legumes, bread, so that the consumer can extract all its benefits.
Stavri Mylona
Dietitian Nutritionist
Stavri Mylona is a registered Clinical Dietitian with a license to practice in Cyprus and England. Is
graduate of the University of Surrey in England where he graduated with honors in 2013. Later, he chose to remain
abroad for her professional career and has gained many years of experience from recognized hospitals
London. Her initial specialization was in patients with gastrointestinal problems, such as Crohn’s disease, iridotomies, colostomies, and she was also the head of the intensive care unit diet team at the Royal Free Hospital. In recent years she has specialized in type 1, 2 diabetes mellitus as well as gestational diabetes. He has also specialized in the healthy way of losing weight so that it becomes a way of life.
He has received special training in insulin pumps, Freestyle Libre, DexCom G6 and now GlucoMen Day CGM, the latter two of which are continuous glucose recording systems.
After 10 years of professional career abroad, she has returned to Cyprus and is a partner of the ScalaMed clinic in Larnaca, where her dietetic office is housed. He is also an external collaborator of PASYKAF (Pancyprian Association of Cancer Patients and Friends) where he offers visits to residents.
