All animal fats and vegetable oils contain the same energy, nine calories per gram, but there is a lot of difference in the way they are metabolised.

Olive oil contains a series of components that benefit several functions of the human body. Many of the biological and therapeutic values of olive oil are due to its chemical structure.

The composition of the fatty acids in olive oil is very well balanced. It is extremely rich in monosaturated fats, mainly oleic acid, that make it more resistant to oxidation than other oils.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids, lionoleic and linolenic, are essential fats that our bodies are unable to synthesise, which are found in olive oil in the ideal proportions for the body.

Virgin olive oil and olive oil have exactly the same composition of fatty acids and from this standpoint they have the same beneficial effects on our health.

Other beneficial properties of olive oil are provided by its minor components. These are basically tocopheroles, such as alpha-tocopherole, which acts like vitamin E, carotin like pro-vitamin A and polyphenoles. Both tocopheroles and polyphenoles have great anti-oxidant power. These antioxidants are especially associated with virgin olive oils.

Olive oil reduces levels of bad cholesterol (cholesterol LDL) and raises levels of good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol), which helps prevent arteriosclerosis.

Because of its high content of oleic acid, it is also the oil best tolerated by the stomach. Ever since ancient times, olive oil has been believed to have a beneficial effect on hyperchloridic gastritis and gastric ulcers, although obviously, in cases such of these, olive oil is not a substitute for medications. Two small spoonfuls of olive oil on an empty stomach can help in cases of chronic constipation.

Olive oil is highly recommended during childhood, because of the balance of essential linoleic and linolenic fatty acids which is similar to that found in breast milk. It is also good for bone development and mineralisation.

Olive oil is also very suitable for including in elderly people's diets, as its high natural antioxidant content provides an excellent defence mechanism against the oxidation process. This type of oil also appears to have a beneficial effect on bone calcification, making it just as suitable for the elderly as during the growth period.