The mediterranean diet is known today for being an ideal model for a healthy and balanced diet and its origins are very ancient. The mediterranean diet consists of a combination of simple foods, 'poor', mainly made up with products taken from the soil flavored with fruits of that same soil, that have always characterized the alimentary habits of the Mediterranean people and that have always been part of the gastronomic culture of the region of Apulia. Cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits and the extra virgin oil make up those "poor" and genuine ingredients that enrich the alimentary mediterranean tradition.

From an alimentary point of view the mediterranean diet is today considered to be the most complete and the most balanced since it is rich in vitamin A,B and C, in fibers and in mineral salts and also because it contains a minimum quantity of simple sugars, of saturated fats and of cholesterol.
A correct diet does not have to eliminate fats completely. It is not true that oil makes you become fat, if it is consumed in right quantities. Lipids are instead indispensable for our organism since they help in the absorption and in the use of some vitamins and also they act as thermal insulators, protecting and supporting the organs. It is important to distinguish the different types of fats: one must not exceed in the consume of "saturated fats", more or less those which have an animal origin (found in cheese, butter, sausages, oil of peanuts) because they could damage your health. While a correct use of unsaturated fats is indispensable beyond the fact that is beneficial. The extra virgin olive oil has a vegetable origin, so we can say that it is unsaturated.

So if the medium needs of an healthy person are of 2000 calories a day, these must be subdivided into 60% of carbohydrates, 25-30% of lipids and 10-15% of proteins. Authoritative studies in the medical-scientific field, meetings of the European Community, have demonstrated that the daily use of the olive oil as a dressing, determines the right amount of alimentary fats.
Moreover the extra virgin olive oil, cooked or raw, is very digestible, because it has a percentage of fat acids vey similar to that of a mother's milk. It is in fact the more suitable fat for the growth of a child.

Which are the foods of the mediterranean diet?

-a prevailing and rich use of foods that have a vegetable origin <vegetables, bread, cereals, potatoes, legumes, fruit, etc.> and rich fibres;
-extra virgin olive oil;
-a small use of animal fats and of margarines;
-season foods preferably local;
-products not manipulated by industries;
-a balanced use of cheeses and derivatives of milk;
-frequent meals based on fish and on white meats <poultry>;
-an irregular use of red meat and of sausages;
-small quantities of wine;

Diet and health

Beyond the fact that it is good and genuine for one's nourishment, the extra virgin olive oil can really produce benefits for our health. It is from generations known the capacity of the acid oil, mostly found in olive oil, to lower the "bad" cholesterol <the one that circulates>. Studies and medical researches are nowadays discovering other healthy properties of the extra virgin olive oil that act on our organism:

-it reduces the risks of the occlusion of the arteries
-it reduces arterial pressure
-it reduces the amount of sugar in the blood
-it increases the secretion of the bile
-it prevents from arteriosclerosis
-it prevents the infarct of the myocardium
-it improves the function of the colon
-it improves the sense of satiety
-it favors and it improves the digestion

Moreover it seems, even though there aren't any real scientific tests, that there are positive correlations in between the use of the olive oil and possible reduction of the incidence of some types of cancer.

So with the extra virgin olive oil Agrolio, you eat light, genuine, tasty and at the same time you protect your health.