At the universities of Seville and Malaga, studies were conducted focusing on the preparation of powerful antioxidants, mainly on the use of such functional food products in an application of Parkinson’s treatment.
The molecule oleuropein contains hydroxytyrosol. The hydroxytyrosol during the extraction process, passes into waist and only about 1% remains in the olive oil. This small quantity is enough to preserve the life of the olive oil for one year.
Although olive oil is a great source of antioxidants, further studies are needed for the specific requirement of molecules for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
The deficiency of dopamine causes Parkinson’s and today for the treatment of this disease, a nitrocatechol is used as an inhibitor of dopamine.
A three year study by Australian scientists confirm that light, heat and oxygen are the worst enemies of olive oil.
Extra virgin olive oil should be stored in cool temperatures, dark places and without exposure to oxygen. Light, heat and oxygen will make oil rancid and useless.
Heat causes the compounds in extra virgin olive oil, that are responsible for the good flavour and pleasant aroma to reverse. Exposure to light results in a substantial loss of antioxidants. All three factors effect the loss of color of olive oil.
Other factors are effecting the shelf life of olive oil. Olive oils with low content of poly-phenols and high in poly-unsaturated fatty acids, have a shorter shelf life than the ones that are high in poly-phenols and low in poly-unsaturated fatty acids.
Extra virgin olive oil should be eaten the first 18 months of its production, because after that it is reaching its self life limits and the health benefits are no longer sufficient.
Today the University of Montpellier in France offers students a specialization diploma in olive oil.
Montpellier University is the only university in France that offers a university level olive oil degree.
In Spain and Italy where the olive oil sector is very large, these programs are very common.
The olive oil education helps maintain the high standards of this sector from cultivating the olive tree to the extraction of olive oil and its chemical content, to the fighting of the olive tree disease, to the marketing and regulations of the olive oil products, also health and nutrition.