Extra Virgin of Messini More than Liquid Gold
A research team from Athens University found that Koroneiki variÂety olive oil from the municÂiÂpalÂity of Messini, near Kalamata, conÂtained the highÂest levÂels of anti-inflamÂmaÂtory subÂstances, attributÂing the qualÂity to speÂcific cliÂmate conÂdiÂtions and culÂtiÂvaÂtion methÂods. The report highÂlighted the antioxÂiÂdant, neuro-proÂtecÂtive, and heart-benÂeÂfitÂing ingreÂdiÂents in extra virÂgin olive oil, emphaÂsizÂing the need for furÂther invesÂtiÂgaÂtion to deterÂmine the exact reaÂsons for the supeÂrior qualÂity and potenÂtial for improveÂment.
A new report of a research team of Athens University describes what qualÂity conÂtrols of extra virÂgin olive oil have revealed: among the 150 tested olive oil specÂiÂmens from varÂiÂous areas of Greece and also from California, samÂples conÂtainÂing the largest quanÂtiÂties of the well-known oleoÂcanÂthal and other anti-inflamÂmaÂtory subÂstances were the Koroneiki variÂety — and espeÂcially the oils made from olives of the municÂiÂpalÂity of Messini, near Kalamata.
The report restated the fact that extra virÂgin olive oil conÂtains antioxÂiÂdant, neuro-proÂtecÂtive and heart-benÂeÂfitÂing ingreÂdiÂents.
The researchers attribÂuted the extra qualÂiÂties of the Messini oil to the parÂticÂuÂlar cliÂmate conÂdiÂtions of the area, the ground morÂpholÂogy, and the care of farmÂers and oil mill ownÂers. More specifÂiÂcally, it seemed that when the trees did not get any water durÂing the floÂresÂcence period (‘xeroÂphytic’ culÂtiÂvaÂtion), and if the olive fruits were processed in an early stage before full matuÂrity and the cold two-phase oil extracÂtion process was used, then the results were outÂstandÂing. Still, researchers said a more thorÂough invesÂtiÂgaÂtion was needed to highÂlight the exact reaÂsons for the supeÂrior qualÂity and to allow for furÂther improveÂment.