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    The Nutritional Myth About Olive Oil That Experts Are Begging You To Stop Believing!

    Is there any oil that’s more beloved in the wellness world than olive oil, a pantry staple so precious that some willingly pay triple digits a bottle? Unlike your standard canola, the taste of olive oil is so darn good that many wouldn’t think twice about taking a swig straight from the bottle or dipping a finger in a small pool of it when they’ve run out of bread.

     

    And then, of course, there’s the health benefits truly making olive oil liquid gold. It’s full of antioxidants and healthy fats, both of which support heart and brain health. But despite this stellar resume, many healthy chefs exclusively use it as a finishing oil because of the oil’s low “smoke point.” The concern was that if olive oil gets too hot, it starts to burn and smoke—which can mess with the flavor of the finished dish as well as degrade some of the oil’s health benefits. Thus, people have been told to use other oils, like avocado or coconut, for any cooking that requires heat.

    Here’s the thing: Olive oil’s allegedly low smoke point is a total myth. According to Joseph Profaci, executive director of The North American Olive Oil Association, not only can olive oil withstand a high heat, but extra-virgin olive oil is actually the most stable oil when heated, which was tested and confirmed in a 2018 study published in the journal ACTA Scientific Nutritional Health.

    Here, Profaci along with Simon Poole, MD, the author of The Olive Oil Diet, an expert scientific consultant on extra virgin olive oil, and a member of the advisory board of the Olive Wellness Institute, set the record straight on cooking with olive oil.

    The truth about olive oil’s smoke point

    Profaci says he’s not quite sure where the widespread misconception about olive oil’s low smoke point came from, but somehow it’s everywhere (even in past Well+Good stories). But he argues that the reputation is undeserved.

    All fats, including olive oil, have a smoke point. This term is basically a fancy way of identifying the temperature at which fats start to burn and break down when heated. Olive oil has generally been ascribed a smoke point of around 320 to 460 ℉, depending on whether it’s extra-virgin or a more refined type of olive oil. (Extra-virgin oil is made from cold pressed olives; its unrefined nature, people argued, made it more prone to smoking at lower temperatures.) This range places it at a lower smoke point than avocado oil (520℉), coconut oil (350℉), or butter (350℉).

    However, Profaci says that the ACTA study debunks a lot of people’s concerns about olive oil’s smoke points. For one thing, researchers found that both regular olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil can withstand temperatures over 475℉, whether on the stove or in the oven. (When sautéing, the temperature is typically 248℉.)

    Additionally, the study found that olive oil, even after being heated in a deep fryer for six hours, showed very few signs of chemical breakdown or any harmful by-products that people have feared when eating oils that are heated for too long past their smoke point. “When the olive oil is heated up in these ways, it still maintains the majority of its health benefits,” Profaci says. The benefits may decrease slightly, similarly to how some specific nutrients in vegetables can degrade with cooking, but heat does not destroy the health properties of olive oil.

    In fact, Dr. Poole says that olive oil’s nutrients are likely why it can withstand high heat relatively intact. “The polyphenols and antioxidants in particular are so plentiful in extra-virgin olive oil that they prevent oxidation in prolonged heating,” he says. “Coming directly from the fruit of the olive tree—which unlike a seed, has to protect itself much more competently from oxidative pressure in its dynamic relationship with the hot, arid and demanding outside world—nature has demanded that the olive tree with the capacity to preserve its precious fruit from the stress of oxidation in the environment.” These protective benefits, he says, carry over from nature and into the kitchen, too.

    What type of olive oil is best for cooking?

    Since both refined and extra-virgin olive oil can, in fact, both withstand a high smoke point, you may wonder which one it’s best to cook with. Profaci says this really comes down to two factors: price and flavor. Extra-virgin olive oil, he points out, has more health benefits than refined (or regular) olive oil, as well as more flavor, but it’s also more expensive. It may be more cost effective to cook with refined olive oil and use extra-virgin olive oil as a finishing oil.

    “Also, sometimes, you might not want the flavor of olive oil in your food,” Profaci points out. “Since extra-virgin olive oil definitely has a flavor to it, that will depend on whether you want to use it when cooking a certain dish, or if you would rather go with refined olive oil, which has less flavor,” he says. If you’re using olive oil when baking—which yep, you can absolutely do—refined may be a better way to go because of this.

    But if you want the food you’re cooking to be as rich in nutrients as possible, Profaci says to go for the extra-virgin, which is more nutrient dense (since it’s less processed). However, whichever type of olive oil you go for, cooking with it will only make your meal healthier.

    So, it’s settled: Not being able to cook with olive oil is one cooking myth that’s going up in smoke.

     

    Source: www.wellandgood.com

    Written by: Emily Laurence

    Compound Found in Olive Oil Fights Breast Cancer Relapse

    The health benefits of olive oil include treatment of colon and breast cancer, diabetes, heart problems, arthritis, and high cholesterol. It also aids weight loss, improves metabolism, digestion, and prevents aging. It is a staple ingredient for many culinary preparations and also serves a variety of medicinal purposes. Medical studies suggest that it is loaded with health benefits.

    At the Olympia Health & Nutrition Awards conference in Athens, Greece in May, Dr. Khalid El Sayed discussed his research group’s groundbreaking discoveries: oleocanthal, a natural phenolic compound found in extra virgin olive oil, reduced the recurrence of one type of breast cancer in mice and limited the growth of other types of recurrent tumors.

    This controlled study in Professor El Sayed’s laboratory at the University of Louisiana at Monroe demonstrated for the first time that oleocanthal can prevent a relapse in one of the four major types of breast cancer, HER2 dependent breast cancer, as well as decreasing the size of other types of breast cancer tumors that appear after treatment. Another study in El Sayed’s lab showed that a therapy that combines oleocanthal with a conventional breast cancer medication may work better than the drug alone. These findings suggest exciting directions for future research into novel alternatives for cancer treatment.

    Currently, El Sayed told Greek Liquid Gold, “there is no formal absolute test to predict a relapse, nor a formal drug for recurrence prevention; chemotherapeutic cancer drugs are not really able to kill the dormant tumor cells that cause a relapse.” Since most of the world’s cancer survivors are now under medical surveillance following treatment, more than 12 million patients “are living with the nightmare of watching for their relapse,” as El Sayed puts it. For these survivors and their loved ones, this research is crucial.

    Writing in the journal Cancers about their work in El Sayed’s laboratory, Abu Bakar Siddique, Nehad Ayoub, and their group point out that breast cancer (BC) “is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. Globally, two million new BC cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2019, with an estimated 627,000 women anticipated to die from BC complications.” Recurrence remains a problem for about 70% of survivors who have had tumors surgically removed and/or have completed radiation therapy or other treatment.

    On the other hand, as El Sayed and his team noted, a “wealth of data documents the reduced risk of Mediterranean populations [for] certain chronic diseases typically emerging later in life, … including atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and particular types of cancer, in addition to extended life expectancy as compared to populations of other geographical regions.” Notably, “these favorable health outcomes have been widely attributed—based on much corroborating epidemiological evidence—to the regular consumption of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), which is a major component of the Mediterranean diet.”

    El Sayed told Greek Liquid Gold he believes “daily consumption of quality EVOO can have significant preventive impact.” High quality extra virgin olive oil often contains enough oleocanthal (as well as other helpful components) to provide health benefits, and as Siddique et al wrote in Cancers, olive oil has been used “as food and even remedy throughout human history.” In various studies, oleocanthal from EVOO has shown antioxidant, anti-bacterial, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities against breast, prostate, colorectal, and skin cancer.

    The type of breast cancer known as HER2-dependent, HER2-amplified, or HER2-positive is a very aggressive kind of cancer which accounts for about 20% of diagnosed breast cancer cases. It is commonly treated with the medication Lapatinib, but tumor cells quickly become resistant to this treatment, making it hard to fight the disease. So this research group embarked on a novel investigation using laboratory animals.

    As Siddique and his colleagues report in the journal Nutrients, the group compared the effects of oleocanthal, Lapatinib, and a combination of oleocanthal and Lapatinib (LP), with a control group. They found that the combination therapy was most effective: it reduced cancer cell growth and “significantly inhibited” the invasion and migration of breast cancer cells that often lead to death.

    Given evidence that it can reduce cancer cell resistance to treatment with LP, oleocanthal thus shows great promise as part of a combination therapy to treat HER2 breast cancer. This study suggests that such a combination therapy could work better than the current treatment, while reducing the required dose of the medication (LP) to ¼ of the original dose.

    However, the required dose of oleocanthal would call for consumption of about 700 ml of the best quality EVOO per day. While many enjoy eating The Governor EVOO from Corfu in Greece that was donated by the Dafnis family as a source of the oleocanthal for this and other related studies, few can consume that much in one day. To treat patients who are ill, it would therefore be necessary to extract pure oleocanthal from EVOO for use as a dietary supplement.

    El Sayed’s group developed new ways of doing that, as they explain in the journal Plos One. They believe their new technique for “simplified, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective extraction and purification of EVOO phenolics” will make future studies of olive oil phenolic compounds easier “and expand their therapeutic applications.”

    Exploring one such application, the group decided to investigate the possibility that oleocanthal could prevent the recurrence of certain types of breast cancer. There have been few investigations into what might inhibit breast cancer recurrence and metastasis (spreading to distant parts of the body), since sound clinical trials would involve a great deal of time, money, and patients. Yet as breast cancer surgery has shifted to a more conservative strategy of removing less tissue than a traditional mastectomy, there have been more recurrent tumors, many of them leading to death. Successful treatment to reduce recurrence is thus essential.

    After establishing a useful novel example of a manageable animal model for a laboratory study, El Sayed’s group discovered that with daily oral treatment with oleocanthal, significantly fewer mice developed recurrent tumors in comparison with the control group, and those that did develop more tumors had much smaller ones. The group also extended their exploration to include the most aggressive breast cancer type, triple negative breast cancer, after making a new oral form of oleocanthal. This prevented 60% of triple negative breast cancer relapses in the mice they studied. These findings offer fresh hope for survivors.

    As Siddique et al wrote in Cancers, oleocanthal may provide a better option for longer-term prevention and cancer-free survival as resistance to some treatments increases, given oleocanthal’s “remarkable selectivity to targeting cancer cells,” but not healthy ones, without either a very high cost or evidence of other negative side effects, unlike many cancer treatments. “Natural product-based recurrence inhibitors” like oleocanthal offer another advantage: they could be developed and marketed for use as dietary supplements more quickly than medications, whose development and approval takes a long time.

    As El Sayed’s group concludes, oleocanthal may have far-reaching positive effects on breast cancer relapse prevention. Once again, Greece’s liquid gold, olive oil, proves its value–this time for cancer survivors.
    ________________________________________________________

    Thanks to Dr. El Sayed for assistance editing this article and for the photos used with it, and thanks to the World Olive Center for Health for sponsoring the Olympia Health & Nutrition Awards ceremony and conference that brought this research to my attention.

    All businesses, organizations, and competitions involved with Greek olive oil or agrotourism or food tourism in Greece, as well as anyone else interested in supporting Greeks working in these sectors, are invited to consider the advertising and sponsorship opportunities on the Greek Liquid Gold: Authentic Extra Virgin Olive Oil website. The only wide-ranging English-language website focused on news and information from the Greek olive oil world, it has reached readers in 194 countries around the globe.

    Source: greekliquidgold.com

    Written by: LISA RADINOVSKY

    Gift Baskets and Gift Boxes

    We have created elegant Gift Baskets and Gift Boxes containing various selections from our line of products. This is an excellent choice to offer as a corporate gift, representing the purity of the Mediterranean food products. The texts and logos on the Gift Boxes can be personalized according to your needs, thus making it appropriate, not only as a corporate gift, but for other purposes as well!

    Unique Gifts for Every Occasion

    At Hellenic Fields, we have created elegant Gift Baskets and Gift Boxes containing various selections from our line of products. This is an excellent choice to offer as a corporate gift, representing the purity of the Mediterranean food products. The texts and logos on the Gift Boxes can be personalized according to your needs, thus making it appropriate, not only as a corporate gift, but for other purposes as well!

    Let us help you choose the perfect food gift basket for any occasion! You can choose from our proposed compositions, or create a new one with all the”ena ena” products that meet your budget and requirements. At Hellenic Fields we carefully listen to you and propose  the best solution! The knowledge and the aesthetic view of our team will lead you to the right choice

    We look forward to offer you the perfect choice for the perfect gift that will honor your recipient!

    Give us a call now!

    Historical Review of Aromatic Herbs Use in Greece

    Aromatic herbs have been part of the Greek culture for thousands of years in the making of medicines, in rituals and in the kitchen. In ancient Greece, medicinal plants were extensively used by rhizotomists, the persons related to therapeutic herb collection and supply.

    In Homer’s epics The Iliad and The Odyssey (800 BC), 63 plant species from the Minoan, Mycenaean and Egyptian Assyrian pharmacotherapy were referred to. The Chinese, Indians, Egyptians, Romans and Arabs also relied on herbalism, which was assimilated into the philosophical principles, traditions and practices of their culture. Consequently, therapeutics developed from being empirical and instinctive to being magical and theocratic. The theocratic viewpoint constituted an element of all ancient civilizations, including the Greeks, until the advent of the Hippocratic School, which was based on observation and experiment. Hippocrates himself (late 5th century BC) mentioned 300-400 medicinal plants, classified by physiological action. He considered them the base of medical science, praised their therapeutic qualities and employed them in his everyday practice. Theophrastus (371-287 BC), Plato’s and Aristotle’s Student, famous philosopher and herbalist, continued Hippocrates’s work and recorded 500 species of Greek herbs, pinpointing the relaxing and empowering properties of various herbal tea flavors. Plant-derived therapeutic oils are mentioned on clay findings of cuneiform writing (2600BC) in Mesopotamia, while about 30 medicinal plants are mentioned in the Bible. In Dioscourides’ work De Materia Medica (1st century AD), herbal medicaments are described, providing the knowledge for most of the later medicinal preparations.
    The great empires controlled the medicinal plants’ production and trade for centuries, while in the Middle Ages, their cultivation in abbeys and monasteries facilitated the development of knowledge on their therapeutic properties. During the Ottoman Empire, many Orthodox monasteries established hospitals within their premises, where remedies were prepared from medicinal plants cultivated by the monks. In a monastic script of this period in the island of Cyprus (1571-1878), 494 herbal descriptions and 231 plants belonging to 70 different botanical families were described. In Greece, for centuries, a large part of the native population health problems was encountered by empirical doctors, such as the renowned “Vikoyiatroi” of the Zagori region in Epirus (17th-19th century), who collected and used medicinal plants from the nearby Vikos Canyon. Eventually, with the advancement of modern medicine, traditional remedies were gradually abandoned in the developed world.
    Aromatic herbs, however, are nowadays being re-examined, their extracts are thoroughly studied and their properties are revised, in an effort to complement or replace the existing synthetic chemical substances used in the modern food and drug industries. It is estimated that up to four billion people (representing 80% of the world’s population) living in the developing world rely on herbal medicinal products as a primary source of healthcare. In Africa, up to 90% and in India up to 70% of the population in rural areas depend on traditional herbal medicines to meet their health care needs. The use of herbal medicines has also become widely embraced in many developed countries, such as in Europe, North America and Australia. In 2003, the percentage of the population that had used them at least once is 48% in Australia, 70%in Canada, 42% in the United States, 31% in Belgium and 49% in France. In the United States in 2007, about 38% of adults and 12% of children were using some form of traditional medicine. In the European Union alone, it is estimated that around 100 million people are using traditional herbal medicines. In these developed countries, the most important among many other reasons for seeking herbal therapy is the belief that it will promote healthier living.
    Aromatic herbs have also become and constitute a fundamental element of the Greek cuisine, known for combining different elements wisely, with a unique sense of proportion and equilibrium. Without oregano, thyme, sage and savory, many Mediterranean dishes lose their inmost qualities. Because of the many herbs used on a daily basis, there is no one herb that defines Greek cooking. The Greek cuisine is all about enhancing the natural flavors of the products. In this respect, herbs are the very best way to add flavor and texture, without adding fat or calories and at the same time, increase the health benefits of foods one already enjoys. People use herbs to cut back on sodium intake, as less salt is used to flavor a meal. As Hippocrates (4th century BC), the great Greek physician, father of medicine, has wisely said: “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food”.

    According to one study, “intake of herbs (such as oregano, thyme, sage) may contribute significantly to the total intake of plant antioxidants and be an even better source of dietary antioxidants than many other food groups, such as fruits, berries, cereals and vegetables”.

    Tea Preparation

    One of the most popular ways to take herbs is in tea form. Making herbal tea involves steeping or cooking the herbs in water in a pot and straining the liquid, which you drink.

    The advantage of taking herbs in this way is that they are quickly absorbed by the body, so the results may be immediate. You may need to take the tea several times per day, over a period of time, however, to notice long-term results.
    Boil water (200ml at 95ᵒC/203ᵒF) and withdraw it from heat. Add ½ tablespoon of herb and steep it for 3-5 minutes (depending on your taste preference), allowing flavor and essential oils to be released. Strain the herb. Add raw honey in your warm tea, as a sweetener, if desired

    Aromatic Herbs in Greece

    In Greece, aromatic herbs are found in abundance, thriving wildly on mountain sides and green meadows. Mediterranean climate, long periods of sunshine and rich geomorphology nourish rare varieties of herbs with unique aromatic qualities and high nutritional properties.

    Greece is one of the richest countries in the world with an exceptionally diverse botanical wealth: 7,500 different species of plants, 850 of which are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Greece’s enormous wealth of herbs ranks her third in the world in native plants, which make up for 50% of the entire European Union. The herbs found in Greece today are the same herbs gathered thousands of years ago in Ancient Greece and their uses have remained unchanged, not only for flavoring dishes, but also for medicinal purposes in natural remedies. The names of herbs, their qualities and uses are known as a legacy that blended with mythology, traditions and home remedies. Many herbs resemble each other in aroma, flavor and appearance, but local people, through experience and knowledge handed down from generation to generation, know how to distinguish them. In 2013, The Association of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Greece (www.eng.eaffe.org) was founded, with the aim to promote the production, marketing and distribution of aromatic and medicinal plants in Greece and abroad. In 2014, the government launched a “national catalog” (www.slideshare.net), serving as a scientific reference on the plants.

    Crystallization

    Crystallization is a natural attribute of pure, raw, unfiltered honey. It does not affect its quality and nutritional value, only its external features, such as color and texture. A crystallized honey is, by no means, spoiled, adulterated, diluted or no longer fit for consumption.

    The process of crystallization actually preserves honey’s flavor and quality characteristics.
    Crystallization is a natural, spontaneous and uncontrolled process, with the exception of spruce honey, by which honey turns from a liquid to semi-solid state with granular composition. Specifically, glucose sugar molecules separate from water and align into orderly arrangements, known as crystals. Factors that determine crystallization are: nectar source collected by the bees (the composition ratio of glucose to fructose), humidity (water composition), presence of pollen grains, pieces of beeswax, seed crystals, propolis and storage temperature. Generally, the higher the glucose and the lower the water content of honey, the faster the crystallization. Raw and unfiltered honey crystallizes faster, as the minute particles it contains serve as nuclei for crystallization.
    Cold temperatures are ideal for crystal formation and accelerate the process of crystallization. Honey crystallization is more rapid around 10-18ᵒC (50-64ᵒF). Refrigerator temperatures accelerate the process of crystallization.
    Raw honeys crystallize differently depending on their composition. If honey crystallizes uniformly through the jar, it can remain in this form for years without losing any of its nutritional value. If honey, however, partially crystallizes, it may turn soar very soon. In that case, you need to re-liquefy crystallized honey.
    Hot Water Bath (Bain Marie): Crystallized honey can be brought back to liquid consistency by gently heating it in a hot water bath (Bain Marie), without losing any of its nutritional value. Heating should be applied indirectly, not by direct flame to the container. It is best to heat it at 35-40ᵒC (104ᵒF) to avoid overheating. Overheating honey for any period of time destroys its taste, aroma and nutrients.
    Heat a saucepan filled with enough water to reach the level of honey in the jar to 35-40ᵒC (95-104ᵒF). Then, remove it from the heat or turn off the heat. Take the lid off of the honey jar and immerse the jar in the water. Let it stand out for 20-30 minutes. The heat will slowly dissolve the glucose crystals, becoming liquid again. Stir occasionally to even the heat throughout the honey, until the granules have dissolved. Repeat process, if needed. Remove the jar from the water bath, when honey becomes liquid again.

    Greek Honey and Apiculture

    The art of beekeeping is practiced systemically in Greece by the 15th century B.C. Honey was produced from the Archaic to Hellenistic periods and beekeeping around Athens was so widespread that Solon passed a law about it: “He who sets up hives of bees must put them 91 meters (300 feet) away from those already installed by another”.

    Greece has the ideal conditions for apiculture and is a country with long tradition and expertise in beekeeping. Greece has more bee hives per acre than any other country in Europe, and along with Spain, the greatest number of professional beekeepers. Greek honey is considered to be one of the finest in the world. It receives high recognition worldwide due to its high quality, exceptional flavor and excellent aroma.

    Earth scientists and botanists consider Greece to have the richest flora in the Mediterranean basin, with more than 7,500 different species of plants, 850 of which are found exclusively in this country. The country’s unique environmental and geographic characteristics with long periods of sunshine favor the existence of a great variety of wild flowers, aromatic herbs, bushes and coniferous trees that are responsible for the distinctive and unique characteristics of Greek honey. More than 100 different plants contribute to its final composition. In addition, the nomadic way of Greek beekeeping, which is taking advantage of the different vegetative cycles in different regions, contributes to these unique qualities of Greek honey. Depending on the season, Greek beekeepers move their hives across the country over long distances, looking for concentrated areas of blossoming wild flowers and aromatic herbs or forests, rich in coniferous trees, to obtain honey with the purest flavor. Rich density, various distinctive flavors, exceptional aromas and unique organoleptic characteristics distinguish Greek honey and make it exceptional.
    Generally, Greek honey is divided into two major categories: blossom or flower honey, produced from the nectar of wild flowers and aromatic herbs and honeydew honey, produced from coniferous trees. If any of the floral or tree variety dominates, then honey will have that specific flavor. Greece is the only European country that has identified and legislated physiochemical, microscopic and sensory characteristics of 8 types of honey (pine, spruce, chestnut, heather, thyme, orange, cotton and sunflower). Certain honey varieties produced in Greece are unique, rare and cannot be found anywhere in the world, such as thyme, pine and spruce honey. Constant quality control by authorities and beekeepers ensures its purity and authenticity and results in Greek honey being classified as one of the safest products.
    Greek honey acts as a natural remedy for many ailments and helps strengthen the immune system. Specialists recommend consuming honey at breakfast, as it is a great energy booster for kids, athletes, elders and working people of all ages. One spoonful of honey contains 64 calories. The recommended quantity is 1-3 spoonful (or more) per day for healthy adults.

    Health Benefits of Honey

    Honey is considered a “functional food”, meaning it is a natural food with health benefits:

    • Natural Energy Source: Honey has been called the “perfect running fuel”. It provides an easily absorbed supply of energy in the form of liver glucose, making it ideal for energetic morning starts and as a pre- and post-exercise energy source. Studies have shown honey to be one of the best choices of carbohydrate to consume right before exercise for fueling or just after exercise for recovery. It is a great tonic to all body cells for weakness, anemia, anorexia, fever, sickness and surgery recovery.
    • Antioxidant Powerhouse: Studies have shown that a daily dose of raw honey promotes health and acts as a preventative against a number of debilitating diseases. Honey contains varying concentrations of polyphenols, powerful disease-fighting antioxidants in the blood that block free radicals activity in the body, induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
    • Memory Booster: Honey is loaded with polyphenols that help prevent cognitive decline or dementia and improve concentration, learning and memory deficits. It enhances the brain’s cholinergic system and circulation, preventing cellular damage and loss within the brain. Studies have shown that honey can improve both short- and long-term memory in menopausal and post-menopausal women.
    • Cardiovascular Protector: Honey builds the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, improves blood circulation, has a protective effect against high blood pressure, reduces the formation of plaques and raises red and white blood cell count. It also regulates cholesterol levels, by increasing good cholesterol levels. Polyphenols in honey reduce the risk of cardiac disease.
    • Gastrointestinal Healer: Honey is rich in probiotic or friendly bacteria, helping the function of gastrointestinal system and aiding in digestion. Being a mild laxative, it also reduces constipation, bloating and gas. Honey also improves the health of gut bacteria, reduces the toxic effects in the gut of mycotoxins produced by fungi and combats food-borne pathogens. Its alkalinity has been proved to be a great protection means against stomach and small intestine ulcers.
    • Antibacterial action: A research study of Greek Ministry of Health evaluated and supported the strong antibacterial action of Greek honey at 6 different bacteria being resistant to antibiotics and fungus. A study on the chemical characteristics of Greek honey proved honey’ strong antibacterial action against bacteria of oral cavity. It has been proved that honey consumption does not favor the development of bacteria that cause dental carries.
    • Wound, Burn and Ulcer Healer: Honey is a natural antibacterial with anti-infectious properties and wound-healing effects. It releases antiseptic hydrogen peroxide which acts as an antimicrobial agent, preventing bacteria growth. In wounds and especially burns, early application of honey has been found to destroy the free radicals, cut the risk of scarring and contractures and increase the healing rate.Honey also reduces the size, pain and odor of problematic skin ulcers.
    • Skin Cleansing and Moisturizing Agent: Honey deeply cleans the skin, absorbs the impurities from the skin pores, fights acne and dark spots, improves wrinkles and fine lines, soothes dry, irritated and sensitive skin areas and softens cracked lips.
    • Sleep Promoter: Raw honey is a natural sleep aid, promoting restorative sleep in two ways. Consuming honey before bedtime restocks the liver’s glucose supply and prevents the brain from triggering a crisis search for fuel, which can induce waking up. Additionally, eating raw honey fosters the release of melatonin and tryptophan in the brain, responsible for promoting sleep.
    • Pollen Allergies Alleviator: Raw honey contains bee pollen, which is known to ward off infections, provide natural allergy relief and boost overall immunity. Some people say that a daily tablespoon of honey can actually act as an allergy shot and reduce allergy symptoms, by helping the body to gradually build up a natural immunity to allergies.
    • Cough Suppressant: Honey helps alleviate cough by acting as a protective film over the throat, soothing the nerve endings that protect it. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) gives credence to honey as a demulcent, something that relieves irritation or inflammation.

    In no case, the information provided in our web page can substitute Medical-Scientific advice or be used in any way for self-therapy. Information

    Health Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

    The health benefits of olive oil include treatment of colon and breast cancer, diabetes, heart problems, arthritis, and high cholesterol. It also aids weight loss, improves metabolism, digestion, and prevents aging. It is a staple ingredient for many culinary preparations and also serves a variety of medicinal purposes. Medical studies suggest that it is loaded with health benefits.

    Cardiovascular Diseases
    The beneficial effects of olive oil on coronary heart disease risk factors are now recognized and on November 2004, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S.A. permitted a claim on olive oil labels concerning: “the benefits on the risk of coronary heart disease of eating two tablespoons (23g) of olive oil daily, due to the monounsaturated fat (MUFA) in olive oil” (Covas, 2007). Thanks to powerful antioxidants, known as polyphenols, extra virgin olive oil is considered an anti-inflammatory food and cardiovascular protector. There is considerable evidence that the traditional Mediterranean diet with high monounsaturated fats may be an optimal diet for healthy people, as well as for patients with coronary heart disease .
    Cancer
    Approximately 80% of human cancers (especially breast, ovary, prostate, colorectal, upper digestive and respiratory tract cancers) have been associated with unhealthy lifestyles. There is now considerable evidence of the protective role of the Mediterranean diet on cancer incidence and mortality, significantly reducing the incidence of mortality from cancer by 6%. Extra virgin olive oil contains substantial amounts of compounds deemed to be anticancer agents, such as squalene, terpenoids and oleic acid.
    Alzheimer Disease
    Extra virgin olive oil is considered a brain food that improves focus and memory. It helps fight age-related cognitive decline, because it protects against inflammation and oxidative stress that are toxic to the brain and can trigger dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
    Diabetes
    Evidence suggests that consuming olive oil has beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity and is likely to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes. The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids contained in extra virgin olive oil influence glucose metabolism by altering cell membrane function, enzyme activity, insulin signaling and gene expression. They help stabilize blood sugar levels and regulate insulin.
    Hormone Regulation
    Extra virgin olive oil has hormone-balancing, anti-inflammatory effects that can prevent neurotransmitter dysfunction. A study conducted by the University of Las Palmas in Spain found that consumption of olive oil, as part of a Mediterranean diet, had an inverse relationship with depression risk.
    Skin Health
    Extra virgin olive oil helps counter the harmful effects to our skin from exposure to toxicity, free radicals, UV light damage and inflammation-causing poor diets or food allergies. As a high source of vitamin A and other antioxidants, extra virgin olive oil can also help hydrate skin, speed up wound healing and help fight infections or hormonal imbalances that can lead to acne, eczema and other skin conditions

    Our Production Process

    Proper cleaning produces higher-quality oil. Grindstones, while ancient in design, are a suitable way to grind olives, because this method breaks up the drupe’s pulp while only slightly touching the nut and the skin.

    Cultivation
    Cultivation of olive groves, which have been growing traditionally for decades, is the main activity of our company. Adhering to the principles of environmental preservation and least possible interference, we know and nurture our plants ena ena, monitor their flowering and witness their fruition throughout the year, using strict regulations and protocols of environmentally friendly methods. Our olive groves are covered by wild herbs, weeds and flowers that keep the soil fertile, moisturized and protected. In this way, we optimize the soil’s nutrient withholding properties and minimize the need for water. We constantly carry out soil and leaf chemical analyses to estimate our plants’ special nutrient requirements and prevent diseases or infestations. A great part of their fertilization comes from processing and returning the organic matter into the soil, which is traditionally thrown away or burned during pruning and harvest, such as branches and leaves. At spring, bee hives are placed in strategic spots within the groves, in order to promote the pollination of olive tree flowers. We also make compost of the leaves of olive trees, used as an organic fertilizer to give to olive trees the necessary nutrients. As such, we safeguard the vitality of our groves, maintaining and protecting the characteristics of the microclimate and agricultural landscape, without using chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
    Pruning
    During the year, we prune after carefully examine our olive trees and adjust according to their special needs, regarding shade, ventilation, fruition and vegetation. Pruning prolongs the productive period of the olive trees, facilitates harvesting and saves soil water. By improving the air circulation among the brunches and exposing them to more sunlight, we enhance growth in a healthy and productive way and, at the same time, control in a natural way infestations from pests and protect our olive trees from diseases. We use fermented manure and crashed woody scrap from pruning, less than 3 cm in diameter, for the nitrogenous fertilization of our olive trees and wild-grown aromatic herbs. The crushed woody scrap, exceeding 3 cm in diameter, is crashed and packed to be used as raw material for smoking meats.
    Harvest
    All the care we offer to our olive trees throughout the year culminates in their harvest. The harvest of our olive trees begins in late October and is completed by middle of December, depending on the climatic conditions of each year and the ripeness of the fruit. The olives, which are collected early when they are still green and unripe, create our exceptional green harvest, “agourelaio” or “oleo nuovo”, bitter extra virgin olive oils, whereas those collected late in the season make our more balanced, milder and softer in taste extra virgin olive oils. The olives are collected carefully by hand, so as not to bruise them and downgrade the quality of the olive oil, by using ladders to reach the upper branches of the tree and hand-held mechanical harvest aids, which are dragged over the branches (by hand), causing them to fall onto large nets that are placed under it. At the same time that olives are collected, the olive tree is trimmed, as required. Depending on the size of the olive grove and the number of olive trees in it, our harvesting trained team collects around 1,5-3 tons of olives per day. After the olives have been collected and sorted out ena ena, getting rid of any defective or damaged ones, they are placed into plastic ventilated crates approved for food items, which let air in to prevent the olives from heating up, for no longer than 12 hours, until the beginning of their pressing.
    Extraction
    In the afternoon of the same day, olives are transferred to the oil mill for same-day processing. Within 12 hours of harvesting by the use of mechanical means and without any chemical treatment, our extra virgin olive oils are extracted in cold temperatures, ensuring they retain all the beneficial properties that are found in abundance only in extra virgin olive oil. We ourselves lead the harvest, the sorting and the transportation of our olives to the mill. We have formed respectful collaborations with local olive mills in each olive oil producing area we are active in, based on strict oil-pressing protocols, with whom we share the same values and vision for pure quality extra virgin olive oil. These olive mills are certified to ISO 22000 HACCP and operate with the latest developed equipment. We carefully oversee and fine tune the oil extraction process, ensuring that the physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of our olive oils remain intact. Oil extraction starts with the separation of the olives from the leaves, by washing them with clean water. After that, olives are crushed and placed to a freshly washed mixer for only 40 minutes, in a temperature of no more than 23ᵒC. Cold water separates the oil, which is placed immediately in stainless steel tanks, with automatically controlled storage temperature up to 16ᵒC and constant nitrogen supply, so as to avoid oxidation and ensure the quality, texture and aroma of our extra virgin olive oils remain intact.
    Packaging
    After our extra virgin olive oils are stored in stainless steel tanks, they are packaged with specialized and innovative techniques in our facilities. Chemical and sensory analyses are constantly conducted to achieve and ensure their highest quality and maintenance of their nutrients. Before our extra virgin olive oils are bottled, they are filtered to remove any natural sediment that occurs during the product’s settling period in the tanks.OR All extra virgin olive oils are bottled unfiltered within weeks of harvesting. During packaging and bottling, we apply the ISO procedures and the strictest safety methods, at all stages of the process, according to national and international standards, which guarantee that superior quality is maintained throughout their life cycle. Our extra virgin olive oils are packaged in dark-shaded or painted bottles, in order to protect them from the harmful effects of light and oxygen and keep their distinct aromas, unique flavors and beneficial properties unaltered. Our production line functions on automatic bottling and artisan packing, done manually.

    The History of Olive Oil

    The olive tree is native to the Mediterranean basin; wild olives were collected by Neolithic peoples as early as the 8th millennium BC. The wild olive tree originated in Asia Minor or in ancient Greece. It is not clear when and where olive trees were first domesticated: in Asia Minor, in the Levant, or somewhere in the Mesopotamian part of the Fertile Crescent.

    Olive Oil in Greece through Time
    a) Olive Oil in Ancient Greece
    In the 8th millennium BC, the Neolithic man had included wild olive fruit in his diet. It is not clear when and where olive trees were first domesticated: in Asia Minor, in the Levant or somewhere in the Mesopotamian part of the Fertile Crescent. Some scientists believe that the first olive trees were planted by the Semite-Hamitic tribes, which inhabited the southern slopes of the Caucasus, the Western Iranian plateaus. Others propose that olive trees were cultivated as early as 6000 BC in Northern Africa, particularly Egypt and Ethiopia. From there, the olive tree and the knowledge of the olive oil production were carried to central and Western Mediterranean countries by Phoenician traders.
    In Greece, the history of olive oil is as old as the myths of the Olympus gods. According to archaeological research that took place in islands of the Aegean Sea, fossil olive leaves were found in the volcanic rocks of Santorini and Nisyros islands, dating back 50,000 – 60,000 years. For Greek people, the olive tree has been seen throughout history as a symbol of peace, prosperity, wisdom, victory and the endurance of life itself, evoking feelings of harmony, vitality and health. According to Greek mythology, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, bestowed upon mankind the most useful plant: the olive tree. In the legend, Athena and Poseidon, the god of the ocean, were in competition over who would have the new city-state named after them and become its protector. Poseidon stuck the ground with his trident and gave the Athenians the gift of flowing salt water. Athena planted a seed, which grew to an olive tree on a rocky hill, known today as the Acropolis. She was crowned the winner, as the olive tree provided shelter, nourishment, medicine, heat and trade and the city became known as Athens. The olive tree was worshipped as sacred and its oil was offered to the Gods and the dead. The nutrition, the religion and the art of the ancient Greeks contained elements of the olive. The symbol of the olive tree has very deep roots in Greek tradition, as it symbolizes wealth, health, beauty and abundance and is considered to be a fundamental element of the Greek civilization.
    It is estimated that olive cultivation in the Helladic area took place in Crete during the Minoan period, about 3500 BC, as is shown by excavations and findings, such as earthenware jars, recording on tablets, frescos, remains of oil milling stones and decantation basins. The earliest surviving olive oil amphorae date to the Early Minoan period, implying the importance of olive oil in the Minoan civilization where it became a principal product representing wealth. Remains of olive oil have been found in jugs over 4,000 years old in a tomb on the island of Naxos. Archeologists claim that the prosperity of the Minoic civilization was very closely connected to the marketing of olive oil. After 2000 BC, the cultivation of the olive tree in Crete was systematic, playing the most important role on the island’s economy. The oil became a multi-purpose product of the Mycenaean Greece (1600-1100 BC) and was a chief export. The first export of the olive oil, not only in mainland Greece but in Northern Africa and Asia Minor as well, started in Crete. Greece was the biggest producer of “liquid gold” in 1500 BCE and the area most heavily cultivated (particularly Mycenae), as the ancient Greeks exported olive trees to their colonies in the western Mediterranean and the oil was used for trade. With the expansion of the Greek colonies, olive cultivation and culture began to spread across the entire Mediterranean basin. Evans informs us about the importance of olive oil of the economic welfare in the ancient Mediterranean by reporting: “When for an unknown reason, in ancient Crete, trade in olive oil declined, Cretans lost their prosperity and many of them emigrated in parts of central Greece and in coastal areas of Asia Minor”.
    Up to the late 7th century BC, the ancient Greeks built their homes around the olive tree, but the use of olive oil was limited. The Greek poet Homer (800-700BC) repeatedly mentioned olive oil in his epic poems “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” as the “liquid gold” and believed that only heroes and gods used it for their daily body care, such as to rub their bodies with it. The olive tree was associated with athletic competitions held throughout Greece in ancient times. At the Olympic Games, first held in 776 BC in honor of Zeus, athletes were massaged with olive oil in the belief that the wisdom, power and strength of Athena would be bestowed upon them. The winners were awarded olive leaf crowns and olive oil. Ancient Greeks also believed that if you polished a statue of Zeus with olive oil, Zeus would be so honored that he would grant you a long and happy life. The Spartans and other Greeks rubbed their bodies with oil, while exercising in the gymnasia.
    It was after the 6th century that people started using olive oil for food. In the 6th century BC, Solon, the great Athenian legislator drafted the first law for the protection of the olive tree, excluding the uncontrolled felling. The olive tree was considered to be so sacred, as cutting a single tree down was met by death or exile. Ownership of an olive tree was not taken lightly. Olives and olive oil were the only permissible exports in his celebrated laws, implying their great importance. Apart from being consumed as part of a daily nutritional regimen, olive oil was also used widely in the production of perfumes and medicines and in daily life for lighting and heating.
    Herodotus (500 BC), the Greek historian, states that Evia, in Central Greece, was full of olive trees during a period where olive cultivation was still unknown to Iran and Babylonia. According to him, Athens was the center of olive cultivation. In the 4th and 5th centuries BC, large areas were under olive cultivation and apart from being a food product, olive oil was also used for medicinal purposes. According to the father of medicine, Hippocrates (460-375BC), olive oil was the “great healer”. It was used in ancient Greece for more than 60 pharmaceutical applications and had the ability to heal various ailments, including the healing of skin problems, stomach aches, ear infections and even mental illness. Aristotle (300 BC) argued that the cultivation of olive trees is science. In his History of Animals, he recommends the use of olive oil as a form of birth control, by applying a mixture of olive oil combined with cedar oil, ointment of lead or ointment of frankincense to the cervix.

    b) Olive Oil in Contemporary Greece
    From the time of Ancient Greece up to the present, the olive has been regarded as the holiest tree of Greece’s land and is directly connected with the country’s culture and nutrition. Nobel Prize winner Greek poet Odysseas Elytis wrote: “Greece is a vine, an olive tree and a boat”. The Olive Tree, “the tree that feeds the children” according to Sophocles, is the protagonist of Greek nature and the olive oil is the protagonist of the Greek diet. Greece, despite its small size, holds the third place in the world in the olive oil production with 52 Greek cultivars, after Spain and Italy. Today, there are approximately 120,000,000 olive trees in Greece, covering an area of approximately 6 million stremmata (1 stremma = 1000 m² / about ¼ of an acre); 80% of the Greek orchard land is devoted to olive agriculture. Approximately 450,000 Greek families are involved in the cultivation of the olive tree and the processing of its fruit all over the country. The average annual production of olive oil in Greece is around 400,000 tones, of which approximately 250,000 are consumed in the domestic market. The Greeks are today the first consumers of olive oil, compared to any other people and the per capita consumption is approximately 20 kilos annually. About 65% of Greece’s olive oil comes from the Peloponnese, while the rest is produced mainly in Crete, the Aegean and the Ionian islands.
    Over 80% of Greece’s olive oil production consists of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with excellent chemical and organoleptic characteristics. The aroma, the flavor, but also the color are the elements that make Greek olive oil distinguishable and justly considered to be one of the best olive oils in the world. The ideal climatic conditions for olive oil, such as mild temperature climate, a lot of sunlight and temperatures without great fluctuation, along with the chemical synthesis of the rocky, arid soil and a variety of unique olive trees (such as the well-known Koroneiki) that do not exist in other oil producing countries, contribute to the production of excellent quality Greek olive oil. Additionally, there is a special relationship with the olive tree that in the end is expressed in the production of excellent quality olive oil mainly with traditional, non-intensive cultivation practices. Most production takes place on small farms and in family-run businesses. Respect, special care and attention are given to the olive tree, as it provides occupation and income for more than 500,000 Greek families. Harvesting of the olive fruits is done the minute they are at the suitable stage of ripeness, in order to give the best quality olive oil. It is done with special care, in most cases by hand, so that the olive fruits are not damaged and the quality of the olive oil is not affected, in spite of the fact, that this way is time-consuming, laborious and consequently more costly. The transportation of the olive fruit to the olive press and its elision for the production of olive oil is carried out in a very short time after harvesting, also contributing to an excellent product of high quality.
    Greece complies with the highest quality standards in olive oil production of olive with a Greek label. Due to the high importance of olive oil for the people and the economy of the country, the Greek legislation provides for a systematic quality control of specialized organizations to protect the quality of Greek olive oil. There are now 17 Protected Designations of Origin (PDO), each one producing olive oil with distinct characteristics. The most prized Greek olive variety for the production of olive oil, often called the King of the Grove, is the Koroneiki variety, originating from the area of Korone in Messenia, Peloponnese. This variety grows well on mountain slopes and produces very small fruit, with very high levels of polyphenols, the natural antioxidants found in plants that protect the human body against free radical damage. The olive oil of Koroneiki variety has a complex aroma, often with subtle hints of other herbs and vegetation growing in or near the groves. It is a particularly fruity variety, with plenty of grassy tones and also flavors reminiscent of bitter almond and spicy pepper. In addition to its rich flavor and vivid color, the olive oil of this highly prized variety also boasts low free fatty acids (less than 0.3%) and a long shelf-life.

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