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Review
. 2022 Mar 31;14(7):1440.
doi: 10.3390/nu14071440.

Therapeutic Properties and Use of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Clinical Nutrition: A Narrative Review and Literature Update

Andrés Jiménez-Sánchez  1   2 , Antonio Jesús Martínez-Ortega  2   3 , Pablo Jesús Remón-Ruiz  1   2 , Ana Piñar-Gutiérrez  1   2 , José Luis Pereira-Cunill  1   2 , Pedro Pablo García-Luna  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Therapeutic Properties and Use of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Clinical Nutrition: A Narrative Review and Literature Update

Andrés Jiménez-Sánchez et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet (MedD). In this narrative review, we synthesize and illustrate the various characteristics and clinical applications of EVOO and its components-such as oleic acid, hydroxytyrosol, and oleuropein-in the field of clinical nutrition and dietetics. The evidence is split into diet therapy, oleic acid-based enteral nutrition formulations and oral supplementation formulations, oleic acid-based parenteral nutrition, and nutraceutical supplementation of minor components of EVOO. EVOO has diverse beneficial health properties, and current evidence supports the use of whole EVOO in diet therapy and the supplementation of its minor components to improve cardiovascular health, lipoprotein metabolism, and diabetes mellitus in clinical nutrition. Nevertheless, more intervention studies in humans are needed to chisel specific recommendations for its therapeutic use through different formulations in other specific diseases and clinical populations.

Keywords: Mediterranean diet; cancer; diabetes mellitus; enteral nutrition; hydroxytyrosol; oleic acid; oleocanthal; oleuropein; olive oil; parenteral nutrition.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

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