We have written at some length about olive oil before, however that piece was about what it was and the difference its composition and origins made in terms of flavour and quality. Olive oil has been regarded as something of a super food for some years ever since the benefits of the Mediterranean diet were first mooted. It has certainly attracted more than its fair share of research into some of the claims made for it. Now, we’re not nutritionists, we’re food lovers, so please don’t take the following as firm advice, however it is undoubtedly interesting to see some evidence for the claimed benefits for one of our favourite ingredients!
Olive oil is the main source of dietary fat in the Mediterranean diet. It is high in oleic acids, low in saturated fats, and it seems to be one of the reasons why there appears to be a lower death rate from cardiovascular diseases in the Mediterranean area, compared with other parts of the world.



People who regularly eat foods fried in olive oil or sunflower oil do not have a higher risk of heart disease or premature death, researchers from Madrid, in Spain, reported in the BMJ.
(In 2017, another study found that olive oil is more stable and less likely to change the nutritional value of food that is fried in it, compared with sunflower oil.)
The team found that older people who regularly used olive oil for cooking and salad dressing or with bread had a 41-per cent lower risk of stroke, compared with those who never consumed it.
A Japanese study published in the Medical Science Monitor showed that LDL-cholesterol concentrations fell in 28 outpatients who took olive oil supplements once a day for 6 weeks.
As the best Spanish delicatessen in Edinburgh, we at Las Delicias are normally more concerned with the flavour and origin of our oils but it’s good to know that not only is good quality, extra virgin olive oil delicious but that it may also be good for you. We’re sure that you don’t really have any more reasons to investigate our extensive range of olive oils but if you do, that’s another one to consider.
We’re very lucky to live a stone’s throw from this shop selling lovely things – the ‘tortas de aceite’ are my favourite.
Thank you! We are really glad to know that you like our shop!