Study looks for diet/heart disease link
A study has identified a mechanism by which the Mediterranean diet prevents the development of coronary heart disease (CHD).
The latest results of the long-term Predimed study – supported by the Spanish Health Ministry – have found that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables can decrease the oxidative damage to LDL cholesterol, exerting a protective mechanism that deters the development of CHD.
A feeding trial in a population at high risk of CHD development compared two Mediterranean diets – one supplemented with nuts and the other with olive oil – with a low-fat diet.
After the three-month intervention period, a diet high in fruit and vegetables and supplemented with olive oil or nuts reduced blood lipids, arterial pressure, fasting blood glucose and inflammation – all risk factors for heart disease.
According to the results, while both olive oil and walnut-supplemented diets had a positive effect on blood lipids, triglycerides were only reduced in the group that ate walnuts.
The Predimed study is a multi-centre, randomised, single-blinded trial which attempts to assess risk factors for CHD by comparing two intensive behavioural counselling and nutrition education groups with a control group.
[Source] Click here
Picture from Greek Olive Oil.com
Posted in Health, Olive Oil by: Olives101
Comments Off on Study looks for diet/heart disease link
SOS Cuetara sees record olive oil harvest in 2007-2008
Sos Cuetara SA expects a record olive oil harvest in 2007-2008, against a medium-term backdrop which does not anticipate any surprise negative factors weighing on earnings, chairman Jesus Salazar said.
In an interview with Thomson Financial News, Salazar said: Next year’s (olive oil) harvest is very, very good It’ll probably be a record. In the medium term, we don’t foresee any crises.
As conditions affecting the group’s operations continue to improve, Salazar said he expects second quarter earnings to come in slightly better than those of the first, and to be on track to reach a 1.6 bln eur sales target for the full-year, amid gradually more stable margins. This is a year of normalisation, in which EBITDA should gradually reach 10 pct of total sales,” he said, nothing that EBITDA margin on olive oil is expected to reach 10 pct by year-end compared to around 4 pct in 2006, with rice margins seen at 8-9 pct and biscuit margins at 15-16 pct.
With a solid balance sheet, 500 mln eur debt and 700 mln eur shareholders funds, Salazar does not see any problem financing the group’s ambitious expansion plans in the US and Italy as the company ploughs ahead with its goal to become a global leader in Mediterranean food products.
Posted in Business, Europe | U.K by: Olives101
Comments Off on SOS Cuetara sees record olive oil harvest in 2007-2008
Two goats’ cheeses with tapenade
Recipe by Valli Little,
Photography by Geoff Lung,
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 1 small carrot, peeled
- 1 small cooked beetroot, peeled
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 80ml (4 tbs) olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- 20ml (1 tbs) red wine vinegar
- 2 x 100g rounds soft goats’ cheese
- 1 tbs green olive tapenade
- 1 tbs black olive tapenade
- 2 slices baguette, about 1cm thick
- 1 cup mixed salad leaves, including edible flowers such as nasturtiums, violets and chive flowers
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut the carrot and beetroot into 1cm-thick slices. Use a small heart-shaped cutter to cut out shapes from the raw carrot and cooked beetroot. Set aside. Place the mustard, olive oil and red wine vinegar in a small bowl. Season, whisk to combine, then set aside.
- Spread one side of one of the goats’ cheeses with green tapenade and one side of the other one with black tapenade. Brush the baguette with a little olive oil; place in oven and toast for 10 minutes until it’s golden. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Place the goats’ cheeses, tapenade-side up on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes until soft. Top each slice of baguette with a baked goats’ cheese. Toss salad leaves with flowers and vegetables, and drizzle with the dressing.
- Place a bed of salad on a large plate, add the rounds of goats? cheese on the toasted baguette and share while the cheese is still warm.
Posted in Recipes by: Olives101
Comments Off on Two goats’ cheeses with tapenade
Olives – Helping to Combat Pollution…
We all know that olives and the oil they produce is healthy. But did you know that the humble olive is now helping to combat pollution in industrial sewage water? It’s true, and Water – Air Quality / Agriculture News had this to say yesterday:
A study carried out by Dr. German Tenorio Rivas, a member of the research group “Solids concentration and bioremediation” from the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Granada (Universidad de Granada) has found an interesting use for the apparently useless olive stones: they eliminate hard metals – chrome, to be precise – by biosorption in sewage water from industries such as painting, tannery or galvanizing industry.
You may be wondering just how this can be done using olive stones, but the answer is really quite simple:
The process of biosorption of chrome by olive stones stems from their capacity to retain metallic ions in their surface. As the UGR scientist explains: “This is due to the difference in electrical charges. Olive stones are negatively charged, whereas metal is positively charged. That is the reason why they come together, thanks to ionic attraction”.
Apparantly, olive stones preoduce no subproducts that are difficult to get rid of later. It’s a clean method, in other words, which means less cost, of course. The end product from this revolutionary method is clean water and olive stones with the metal attached, which of course can be used again.
Posted in Ecology | Environment, Health by: Olives101
Comments Off on Olives – Helping to Combat Pollution…
Agrolive – an Australian Olives Trees Supplier and Orchad’s Developper
Posted in Australia | NZ, Olive Oil, Olive Tree, Video by: Olives101
Comments Off on Agrolive – an Australian Olives Trees Supplier and Orchad’s Developper
Copyright © 2026 Olives101.com | Entries 
and Comments