Caramia G
Azienda Ospedaliera Materno-Infantile "G. Salesi", Ancona.
Pediatr Med Chir. 2006;28(1-3):9-23.
Proper nutrition has been considered the basis of good health since ancient times. Hippocrates (460-377 BC), father of modern medicine in the western world, claimed that "good health implies an awareness of the powers of natural or processed foods", the Salernitan School (eleventh-twelfth centuries) maintained that "the doctor must observe what food consists of, how much, and when it must be eaten", while Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) believed that "a man's life depends on what he eats". We know that lipids are important in nutrition and extra-virgin olive oil plays a predominant role in this field, recognised for its high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids. An example of a "nutraceutic" or "functional" food right from infancy, it is one of the best medicaments for delaying aging, and is also a good source of phytochemicals including polyphenolic compounds, squalene, alpha-tocopherol, carotenoid that may contribute to its overall therapeutic characteristics. An integral ingredient of the Mediterranean diet, extra-virgin olive oil has always been considered a middle road between food and medicine and there is growing evidence that its health benefits include reduction of coronary heart disease risk factor, prevention of several types of cancer, and the modification of immune and inflammatory responses. The origins of the olive tree date back to the Eneolithical era, or Copper Age, in the sixth millennium BC. Having first appeared in Italy during the Bronze Age, the fruit and oil of the olive tree were widely used in nutrition, medicine, art, literature, and daily life during the Etruscan and Roman civilisations, and throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Mysteriously entwined with our own history, the olive tree has a human shape, strong, resilient, tenacious, filled with fruit, but also wounded, suffering and moving. Well-grounded reasons exist for considering olive oil the best nutritional gift we can offer ourselves as it preserves good health, improves the quality of our life and also makes it more enjoyable.
自古以来，合理营养就被视为健康的基础。西方现代医学之父希波克拉底（公元前460 - 377年）宣称：“健康意味着了解天然或加工食品的功效”；萨勒诺学派（11至12世纪）认为：“医生必须观察食物的成分、数量以及食用时间”；而列奥纳多·达·芬奇（1452 - 1519年）则相信：“人的生命取决于他吃什么”。我们知道脂质在营养中很重要，特级初榨橄榄油在这一领域发挥着主导作用，因其富含单不饱和脂肪酸而闻名。从婴儿期起就是“营养治疗剂”或“功能性”食品的典范，它是延缓衰老的最佳药物之一，也是包括多酚类化合物、角鲨烯、α - 生育酚、类胡萝卜素等植物化学物质的良好来源，这些物质可能有助于其整体治疗特性。作为地中海饮食的重要组成部分，特级初榨橄榄油一直被视为介于食物和药物之间的中间道路，越来越多的证据表明，它对健康的益处包括降低冠心病风险因素、预防多种癌症以及调节免疫和炎症反应。橄榄树的起源可以追溯到公元前6000年的新石器时代晚期，即铜器时代。橄榄树最早在青铜时代出现在意大利，其果实和油在伊特鲁里亚和罗马文明时期，以及整个中世纪和文艺复兴时期，被广泛用于营养、医学、艺术、文学和日常生活中。橄榄树与我们的历史神秘地交织在一起，它具有人的形态，强壮、坚韧、顽强，果实累累，但也伤痕累累、饱经苦难且令人动容。有充分的理由认为橄榄油是我们能给予自己的最好营养礼物，因为它能保持健康、提高生活质量，还能让生活更美好。
