Olive Oil: The Ancient Mediterranean Superfood That Helped an Italian Farmer Survive World War II
Back in the 1960s, I had a conversation with an elderly Italian man who told me how he had survived the Second World War. He had not been a soldier, but a farmer in Italy, living through a period when food shortages, economic disruption and the general hardships of war made survival a daily concern. His secret, he explained, was that he had managed to stash away a supply of olive oil. It was a simple story, but one that remained in my memory. At the time, I understood olive oil principally as a useful cooking ingredient. Looking back, however, the old Italian farmer may have possessed a greater appreciation of its nutritional value than many modern consumers.
Olive oil is one of the oldest and most important foods in Mediterranean civilisation. For thousands of years it has served not merely as a cooking fat, but as a source of concentrated energy, a preservative, a commodity of trade and a traditional medicinal preparation. In times of hardship, its caloric density alone made it valuable. A tablespoon supplies approximately 120 calories, while a litre contains roughly 8,000 calories. For a farmer facing uncertain food supplies, a carefully stored quantity of olive oil could therefore provide a substantial reserve of dietary energy, particularly when combined with bread, vegetables, beans and whatever other foods remained available. It could not supply all the protein, vitamins and minerals required for survival, but it was a valuable addition to an otherwise restricted diet.
A recent article by the medical writer known as A Midwestern Doctor, entitled "The Remarkable Secrets of Olive Oil," explores the extraordinary history of this ancient food and the growing scientific evidence concerning its health benefits. The article argues that modern medicine and nutrition have only gradually rediscovered properties appreciated by Mediterranean peoples for centuries. While some of its more ambitious therapeutic claims require further clinical confirmation, the central proposition that good-quality olive oil is associated with substantial cardiovascular and metabolic benefits is supported by a significant body of research.
The most convincing evidence concerns cardiovascular health. Olive oil is particularly rich in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid that generally accounts for approximately 70 per cent of its fat content. Unlike fats rich in saturated fatty acids, olive oil can improve blood lipid profiles when used as a replacement for less favourable dietary fats. Extra virgin olive oil also contains numerous biologically active compounds, including polyphenols, that may reduce oxidative damage and influence inflammatory processes associated with cardiovascular disease.
One of the most important investigations was the Spanish PREDIMED study, which examined the effects of Mediterranean dietary patterns among thousands of people at elevated cardiovascular risk. Participants assigned to a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil experienced fewer major cardiovascular events than those assigned to dietary advice emphasising fat reduction. Although the original trial required republication following irregularities in randomisation, the corrected findings continued to support a protective effect of the Mediterranean dietary pattern. Importantly, the study examined an entire dietary intervention rather than olive oil consumed in isolation.
Further research has strengthened the association. A study published in the American Heart Journal in January 2026 examined more than 7,000 participants from the PREDIMED population and found that those consuming the highest amounts of extra virgin olive oil had a 25 per cent lower risk of a composite group of cardiovascular outcomes than those in the lowest consumption category. The outcomes included heart attack, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular death. The findings were observational analyses within the trial population, rather than proof that olive oil alone produced the reduction, but they provide further support for its inclusion in a heart-healthy diet.
The distinction between ordinary refined olive oil and extra virgin olive oil is particularly important. Both contain substantial quantities of oleic acid, but extra virgin olive oil retains more of the natural compounds present in the olive fruit. These include hydroxytyrosol, oleocanthal, oleacein and other polyphenols. Many possess antioxidant or anti-inflammatory properties demonstrated in laboratory research, although the extent to which individual compounds produce clinical benefits in humans remains under investigation.
Oleocanthal is especially interesting because it produces the characteristic peppery sensation sometimes experienced at the back of the throat when tasting fresh extra virgin olive oil. Researchers discovered that this compound can inhibit enzymes involved in inflammation through mechanisms resembling those targeted by certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including ibuprofen. This does not mean that drinking olive oil is equivalent to taking ibuprofen, since the quantities, biological availability and clinical effects differ considerably. Nevertheless, it provides a plausible biochemical explanation for some of the anti-inflammatory properties associated with high-quality olive oil.
The potential benefits extend beyond the cardiovascular system. Studies of Mediterranean dietary patterns have reported improvements in insulin sensitivity and reductions in the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Inflammation, oxidative stress and impaired metabolic regulation are interconnected processes, and olive oil may influence several of them. Evidence also suggests associations between higher olive oil consumption and lower risks of certain chronic diseases, including some cancers, although observational associations cannot establish that olive oil itself prevents these conditions.
Brain health is another promising field. The Mediterranean diet has repeatedly been associated with better cognitive outcomes in observational research, while some intervention studies suggest potential benefits for cognitive performance. Researchers have investigated whether the polyphenols in olive oil may protect nerve cells against oxidative damage or influence inflammatory processes implicated in neurodegenerative disease. These mechanisms are scientifically interesting, but claims that olive oil can prevent or reverse Alzheimer's disease would go beyond the available clinical evidence. The more defensible conclusion is that olive oil forms part of a dietary pattern associated with healthier ageing.
The quality and freshness of the oil deserve particular attention. Extra virgin olive oil is produced by mechanical extraction without the intensive refining used to manufacture many other cooking oils. Its flavour, aroma and polyphenol content vary considerably according to olive variety, growing conditions, harvest timing, processing and storage. Early-harvest oils often contain higher concentrations of phenolic compounds and may have a distinctly bitter or peppery taste. However, taste alone cannot reliably establish the concentration of beneficial compounds.
Storage is also important. Exposure to oxygen, heat and light gradually degrades olive oil, reducing flavour quality and some of its natural protective compounds. Dark bottles or opaque containers, cool storage conditions and reasonably prompt consumption after opening are therefore sensible precautions. Rancid oil should be discarded. Contrary to the popular assumption that extra virgin olive oil is unsuitable for cooking, good-quality oil can perform well under ordinary domestic cooking conditions, although prolonged overheating and repeated deep-frying degrade oils generally.
The broader Mediterranean dietary tradition offers an important perspective. Olive oil was rarely consumed in isolation. It accompanied vegetables, legumes, fish, grains, nuts and other minimally processed foods. Its value therefore arose partly from what it replaced and partly from the foods with which it was eaten. A diet containing olive oil in place of excessive saturated fat, while also providing fibre, protein and essential micronutrients, is quite different from simply adding large quantities of oil to an otherwise unhealthy diet.
This brings me back to the Italian farmer I met so many decades ago. His decision to preserve a supply of olive oil during wartime was eminently practical. It was a compact, energy-rich food that could be stored, transported and used to make otherwise meagre meals more nourishing. In a rural society where food production and preservation were matters of immediate survival, such knowledge could be far more important than fashionable dietary theories. The old farmer did not need a clinical trial to understand the practical value of his olive oil, although modern research has revealed additional reasons why it deserves a respected place in the human diet.
There is a lesson here concerning the relationship between traditional food knowledge and modern nutritional science. Traditional practices should not be accepted uncritically merely because they are ancient, but neither should they be dismissed as primitive. Some traditions survived because they represented successful adaptations to local conditions and available resources. Olive oil is an excellent example of a food whose longstanding cultural importance is now supported by substantial scientific evidence, even if some of the more extravagant medicinal claims remain unproven.
My Italian acquaintance was not claiming to have discovered a miracle cure. He was describing how he had survived a period of extraordinary hardship through foresight, farming experience and the preservation of a valuable food. More than sixty years later, his story remains relevant. In an age of highly processed foods, complicated dietary fashions and endless arguments about nutrition, the humble olive offers a reminder that some of the most useful foods are also among the oldest. Olive oil is not a miracle medicine, but it is a remarkable combination of concentrated nourishment, culinary versatility and potentially protective biological compounds. The old Italian farmer knew its value when his survival depended upon it. Modern science has given us further reasons to appreciate his wisdom.
https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/the-remarkable-secrets-of-olive-oil
