Polyphenols – Longevity aus Pflanzen
Polyphenols are essential for the survival of plants. But they can also provide important services to human health. Milan-based scientist Prof. Adriana Albini has made an astonishing discovery in olive press water.
Polyphenols are found in almost every fruit and vegetable, in herbs and also in some foods known as superfoods, such as cocoa powder, chokeberries and blueberries. These so-called secondary metabolites primarily have an antioxidant effect. Many compounds serve as defense substances against pests, diseases and much more. Colorful flower pigments are also plant phenols and attract insects for pollination, for example. However, polyphenols are mainly found in the outer layers of plants (e.g. the skin and the peel).
And this is where olives come into play. The dark water obtained during pressing contains an enormous amount of highly effective polyphenols. It is actually a waste product, as we mainly appreciate the oil obtained in the process. This is not the case at Fattoria La Vialla in Meliciano, Tuscany. There, the olive press water is not disposed of, but filled into small jars and sold as a dietary supplement.
The tradition of “acqua mora” in Italy is a long one. The ancients have always drunk the bitter elixir of longevity. Nonna Caterina, the great-grandmother of the Lo Francos, is said to have drunk two glasses of it a day during the olive harvest – and lived to be 98 years old.
Polyphenols from a scientific point of view
Dr. Adriana Albini, who works at the European Institute of Oncology – IEO in Milan and mainly researches inflammatory processes in the body and cancer prevention, examined the OliPhenolia from the Fattoria in more detail.
When and how did you come into contact with OliPhenolia?
Ah, that’s a nice story. It happened a few years ago. I was speaking on an Italian television program about dietary derivatives for health. The Lo Franco family, owners of Fattoria La Vialla, were watching and asked me if I would be interested in investigating their product, which was obtained from the filtration of “waste water” from olive flour. This olive press water is very rich in healthy substances, especially polyphenols. So I agreed to research it scientifically. We then started to purify the extract and test it on cells in the laboratory.
Had you ever heard of “acqua mora” before?
Not directly. But it has long been known that olive oil has a positive effect on the human organism.… weiterlesen
CultureAndCream Author from Munich
To travel during my profession as a beauty journalist was never enough for my. Also my six month on a world trip didn’t do it. It always attracts me to other cities, foreign countries, on roadtrips and places I don’t know yet. But I am not only interested in “culture” and “cream”, I am also fascinated by people who have stories to tell . Such unique experiences I want to share with you.
