Olive oil is a cornerstone of Mediterranean diets, which are renowned for being good for the heart. Many nutritionists have attributed that benefit to the oil's high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids. However, a European study suggests that olive oil's fatty acid makeup is only part of the story. The study indicates that lightly processed olive oils—the virgin types common in Mediterranean diets—offer additional ingredients with a cardiovascular advantage: abundant antioxidants known as polyphenols.

Nor is this the only newfound benefit from olive oil. Another European research team reported this month on a test-tube study showing that compounds in oil from the skin of olives trigger the death of human-cancer cells.

...So begins a blog of mine that you might find of interest on the website for Science News magazine, where I'm senior editor. You can reach the olive-oil story, with lots of links to the science behind these findings--and related ones--at: Food for Thought: Olive Oil's Newfound Benefits