However, skipping this meal is increasingly common among adolescents, with average prevalence reported to be in the range of 20 to 30 percent. 

A new Spanish study examines the relationship between this trend and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, as well as other lifestyle factors.

Using data from Spanish students aged 14 and 15 from urban and rural areas, the study aimed to examine the frequency of skipping breakfast and identify lifestyle and dietary factors associated with this behavior. It also investigated whether patterns differ by sex and whether breakfast omission correlates with overweight status.

Results showed that 43 percent of girls skipped breakfast at least once a week, and 14 percent skipped it daily, compared to 24 percent and seven percent of boys, respectively. Overall, the prevalence was 33.5 percent; however, girls consistently reported higher rates of omission than boys in all categories.

Statistical models predicting breakfast skipping achieved high accuracy. The area under the curve values were approximately 0.81 for girls and 0.79 for boys.

Low adherence to the Mediterranean diet emerged as a strong predictor of skipping breakfast for both genders. 

Adolescents with poorer dietary patterns were far more likely to omit breakfast, indicating a consistent correlation between overall diet quality and morning eating habits. 

Those who regularly skipped breakfast had significantly lower Mediterranean diet scores, and a particularly strong correlation was observed between girls who consumed less olive oil and the omission of breakfast.

Extended screen time and shorter sleep duration also correlated with skipping breakfast across the entire study population, linking these lifestyle behaviors with poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet. 

From this, the researchers conclude that unhealthy routines likely cluster, and breakfast omission fits within broader patterns of behavior.

In both groups, skipping breakfast was associated with being overweight or obese, although the correlation was stronger among boys.

Unlike the majority of food pyramids, the base of the Mediterranean diet pyramid is built on a combination of exercise, rest, socializing and cooking on the physical front and a commitment to sustainable, local, seasonal and eco-friendly food choices on the value front. It is therefore as much a way of life as it is a way of eating.

Researchers have identified connections between breakfast omission and several physical health problems, including obesity, dyslipidemia (abnormal blood lipid levels) and elevated blood pressure. 

Among the proposed explanations, two are most prominent: those who skip breakfast may consume more calories later in the day, and they often exhibit poorer dietary quality overall, especially with lower intake of fruits, vegetables, and nutrient-rich foods, consistent with poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

In addition to physical health problems, several studies link breakfast omission with reduced mental and emotional well-being. 

Such studies have shown that adolescents who eat breakfast less regularly show significantly higher rates of stress, anxiety and depression and lower rates of life satisfaction and optimism.

Although causality remains unclear, reported correlations are consistent across multiple countries and cultures.

The researchers believe that, given the high prevalence of breakfast skipping among teenagers, targeted intervention is vital to public health. 

Since socioeconomic factors have been shown to strongly influence adherence to the Mediterranean diet, schools are proposed as key centers for this intervention. 

The authors specifically cite the introduction or improvement of school breakfast programs and increased nutrition education as possible strategies.

They also propose broader nutrition education initiatives that target the home environment, including parents and the entire family unit. 

They emphasize the importance of practical education in addition to general information, providing families with the knowledge they need to prepare simple, healthy and appetizing meals.

While research suggests that consistent meal patterns appear more critical than meal composition for protecting mental health, diet quality remains consistently key to physical health.

The authors therefore conclude that public health strategies should foster accessible and engaging breakfast routines in both home and school settings, tailored to age, gender and lifestyle contexts.

The review emphasizes the role of the Mediterranean diet and olive oil, which contain both polyphenols, underscoring their antioxidant properties, which could bolster cellular defenses and mitigate oxidative damage in neuroblastoma cells.

Additionally, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol are shown to induce apoptosis (cell death), reduce side effects from conventional treatments and counteract tumor dormancy as a resistance mechanism, suggesting promising avenues for future research, especially in vivo studies.

Neuroblastoma is a challenging pediatric cancer that primarily affects children aged 17 to 18 months. It arises from neural crest cells of the sympathetic nervous system and commonly originates in the adrenal glands, neck, chest or spinal cord.

Despite advances in treatment modalities such as chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy, neuroblastoma remains a formidable clinical entity due to its propensity for recurrence and the development of drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes for patients.

The review underscored the potential of natural compounds derived from the Mediterranean diet in addressing the therapeutic challenges of neuroblastoma. Their accessibility and reduced cytotoxicity make them attractive candidates for integration with conventional treatments.

For example, garlic-derived compounds and antioxidants from red wine have shown anticancer effects in various cancer types, including neuroblastoma. Leveraging these natural substances to enhance treatment efficacy and mitigate side effects holds promise, particularly in pediatric oncology.

The Mediterranean diet is renowned for its health benefits and protective effects against various diseases, including cancer.

Extra virgin olive oil, the primary source of fat in the Mediterranean diet, contains bioactive phenolic compounds, including oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, which have garnered scientific interest for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.

Oleuropein, the principal phenolic compound found in olive oil, demonstrates diverse therapeutic potentials, including cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Its ability to interact with critical molecular pathways in disease progression makes it an attractive candidate for cancer therapy.

Upon hydrolysis, oleuropein yields hydroxytyrosol, which shares similar beneficial properties and has been shown to exert potent anticancer effects in various tumor types.

One of cancer cells’ hallmark features is their dysregulated redox balance, which leads to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress.

With their antioxidant properties, Oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol can potentially mitigate oxidative damage and bolster cellular antioxidant defenses in neuroblastoma cells.

By scavenging free radicals and modulating oxidative stress pathways, these phenolic compounds may inhibit tumor growth, induce apoptosis and sensitize tumor cells to conventional treatments.

In addition to their antioxidant effects, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol have been shown to modulate various signaling pathways involved in cancer progression.

They can inhibit nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) activation, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) expression and histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, thereby suppressing inflammatory responses, angiogenesis and tumorigenesis.

Tumor angiogenesis involves the development of blood vessels into the cancerous mass to supply nutrients and oxygen, supporting tumor growth and metastasis.

Angiogenesis inhibitors are considered a means of complementing other therapies and preventing malignant tumor development. Anti-angiogenic therapy, while not a cure, is effective in destroying tumors because vascular supply is essential for their growth.

The review highlighted the importance of exploring the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol to optimize their therapeutic efficacy.

Despite their low bioavailability, these compounds can reach therapeutic concentrations in target tissues, particularly in tumors, due to their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and interact with cellular targets.

The researchers indicated that strategies to enhance the delivery and bioavailability of oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, such as nanoformulations and targeted drug delivery systems, warrant further investigation to maximize their clinical utility in neuroblastoma treatment.

Moreover, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol exhibit selective cytotoxicity towards cancer cells while sparing normal cells, making them promising candidates for targeted cancer therapy.

Preclinical studies have demonstrated promising results, including inhibition of tumor growth, induction of apoptosis and sensitization of tumor cells to chemotherapy.

However, the researchers added that translating these findings into clinical practice requires rigorous evaluation in well-designed clinical trials to establish safety, efficacy and optimal dosing regimens.

The authors note that further research is needed to fully elucidate their mechanisms of action, optimize their pharmacokinetics and evaluate their clinical efficacy in neuroblastoma patients.

By harnessing the therapeutic potential of oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, they hope to pave the way for more effective and less toxic treatments for neuroblastoma and other pediatric cancers, ultimately improving outcomes and quality of life for affected patients and their families.

The Buena Vista Edible Schoolyard serves about 1,000 students from kindergarten to sixth grade. The curriculum follows a unique educational-nutritional model, with students learning to harvest and cook with award-winning extra virgin olive oil made from the school’s 370 Manzanilla olive trees.

The olive and olive oil-centric lessons represent a portion of what the public charter school calls its outdoor classroom. The program covers basic concepts of ecology, self-sufficiency, healthy eating and math skills while developing an appreciation for the environment.

This edible education program has a unique history. In 2012, mature olive trees were transplanted from Woodlake, in the Porterville area of California’s San Joaquin Valley, to Bakersfield 50 miles (80 kilometers) south. 

Darcy Marshall’s olive trees became a source of food, inspiration and health for Edible Schoolyard Kern County students and the community.

“With his love of the land and healthy cuisine, Marshall was nurturing what would become a new business bringing benefits to thousands of families in our agricultural community and far beyond,” Dylan Wilson, the executive director of Edible Schoolyard Kern County, told Olive Oil Times,

“Marshall harvests and presses the hand-picked olives each year,” he added. “He named the bounty of his harvests Buena Vista extra virgin olive oil, [which] has taken first place at the Kern County Fair since 2015.” 

Wilson described Buena Vista extra virgin olive oil as robust with aromatic flavors. “The oil is perfect for enjoying over a slice of freshly baked bread, in creamy vinaigrettes or hearty dishes such as soups and stews or grilled meats and roasted vegetables,” he said.

The 370 olive trees and the schoolyard they surround are intimately linked in the lives of Kern County families of all economic conditions and culinary talents. The trees offer an outdoor classroom for understanding the seed-to-table cycle. 

“Marshall’s landscaping team cares for, stewards and harvests with Edible Schoolyard Kern County’s sustainable philosophies and practices,” Wilson said. “Following pressing and bottling, Marshall donates the finished extra virgin olive oil to Edible Schoolyard Kern County.”

The school then sells the olive oil to residents in Kern County and Southern California, with proceeds going to its student programs and the local community.

Marshall’s wife, Barbara Grimm Marshall, founded Grow Academies: public charter schools for kindergarten through eighth-grade students in Arvin, Shafter and rural areas of Kern County.

The schools are built around a unique educational-nutritional model of edible schoolyards with olive trees on each campus.

At the Edible Schoolyard Kern County and the Grow Academies, students learn to develop healthy eating habits through nutrition, education and hands-on seed-to-table experiences.

Buena Vista extra virgin olive oil supplies the kitchen classrooms, in which young chefs learn to prepare, serve and enjoy the foods they have grown and harvested from the gardens to which they tend.

“Students develop a love of seasonal, healthy recipes and take these eating habits home to improve the nutritional choices of their families,” Wilson said.

Despite being one of the leading agricultural counties globally, Kern County struggles with a concerning reality: one in four community members faces food insecurity. 

The county presents a compelling case for supporting initiatives to educate the community on healthy eating.

Access to fresh, nutritious and affordable food is lacking for many residents. The dangers are compounded by many families having a limited understanding of how to maximize the nutrient value of available produce. 

Additionally, the county grapples with alarmingly high rates of obesity and diabetes, ranking 53rd out of 58 counties in California for overall wellness.

“Our mission is to proactively address these challenges by inspiring future generations to cultivate a healthy and positive relationship with their food,” Wilson said. “Looking ahead, we envision deepening our connections with community partners and expanding our array of programs.” 

Since 2019, the Edible Schoolyard network has flourished, encompassing eight affiliated edible schoolyard programs.

“The growth has been remarkable, with the community wholeheartedly embracing the approach of imparting basic concepts related to the seed-to-table cycle to children,” Wilson said. “We firmly believe that by instilling these lessons in young minds, we are effecting positive changes in the eating habits of their families.”

Wilson said the project is farsighted, taking a multigenerational approach to more broadly improving awareness of extra virgin olive oil and healthy eating patterns.   

“Moving forward, we remain dedicated to fostering a healthier and more resilient community, ensuring that our efforts contribute to a sustainable and positive future,” he said.

At the Edible Schoolyard Kern County, a central tenet of the teaching philosophy is the promotion of healthy eating habits, with a particular emphasis on consuming whole foods.

“While adults may face challenges in altering their dietary routines, we emphasize that it’s never too late to make positive changes, and a key aspect is incorporating more whole foods into one’s diet,” Wilson said.

According to Wilson, identifying and understanding whole foods – those in their original, unprocessed state – is fundamental to fostering a nutritious lifestyle.

The program puts these principles into action by encouraging people of all ages to make conscious choices in favor of whole foods, minimize the consumption of ultra-processed alternatives and actively support local seed-to-table or food literacy programs.

Many local edible education programs, such as these California school programs, are initiated and sustained by community members, often facing financial challenges. 

“Local support, whether through volunteering or financial contributions, can significantly impact these programs and contribute to the community’s overall well-being,” Wilson said. “This is especially vital when these programs involve educating children, as they play a crucial role in enhancing the health and knowledge base of the community.”

“Our message is one of lifelong learning about food, fostering healthier eating habits, and actively supporting local initiatives that promote seed-to-table awareness and food literacy,” he concluded. “By doing so, we collectively contribute to individual well-being, community improvement, and a more sustainable and informed approach to food choices.”

• ABC Bakersfield
• Kids Data

The Improving Mothers for a Better Prenatal Care Trial Barcelona (IMPACT BCN) aimed to assess whether structured interventions, focusing on the Mediterranean diet or mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), could decrease the percentage of newborns born small for gestational age (SGA) and improve other adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The main focus of this new analysis was a prespecified secondary endpoint aiming to investigate whether maternal interventions involving the Mediterranean diet or stress reduction during pregnancy could enhance neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring at the age of two years.

The neurodevelopmental evaluation used the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III), assessing cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional and adaptive behavior domains. The trial analysis took place between July and November 2022.

The original trial, conducted in Barcelona, included 1,221 pregnant individuals considered at high risk of delivering small for gestational age newborns. Enrollment occurred from February 2017 to October 2019, with follow-up continuing until delivery and concluding on March 1, 2020.

While numerous studies have demonstrated the potential benefits of the Mediterranean diet in reducing adverse health outcomes such as cardiovascular events, diabetes, cognitive decline and inflammatory-based diseases among high-risk adults, this was the first study of its kind to examine the potential neurological benefits to children through maternal diet during pregnancy.

Randomization placed participants into three groups: a nutritional intervention, a stress reduction intervention and a control group receiving standard care.

Data collection involved baseline and final visits, where participants answered questionnaires, provided biological samples and had perinatal data collected. Primary and secondary endpoints of the trial, including the percentage of newborns who were small for gestational age and adverse perinatal outcomes, had been published earlier.

The IMPACT BCN trial employed a parallel, unblinded, randomized clinical design conducted at BCNatal, a prominent center for maternal-fetal and neonatal medicine in Barcelona. Pregnant individuals at midgestation (19 to 23.6 weeks) with a high risk of delivering small for gestational age newborns were enrolled.

The trial aimed to ensure generalizability by recording race and ethnicity. Randomization occurred in a one-to-one ratio in the dietary intervention, stress reduction intervention, and control groups.

The Bayley-III evaluation showed that two-year-old children born to mothers who underwent structured lifestyle interventions based on the Mediterranean diet or stress reduction during pregnancy exhibited better scores in cognitive and social-emotional domains.

Notably, this is the first randomized clinical trial evaluating the impact of such interventions on child neurodevelopment.

The dietary intervention, rooted in the traditional Mediterranean diet adapted for pregnancy, included monthly individual and group sessions supplemented with extra virgin olive oil and walnuts.

Stress reduction participants received a mindfulness-based stress reduction program adapted for pregnancy, involving weekly group classes, a full-day session and daily home practice. Usual care participants followed standard pregnancy care protocols.

The assessment, conducted at the corrected age of 24 months, revealed that children in the Mediterranean diet group had significantly higher scores in both the cognitive and social-emotional domains compared to the usual care group.

Children in the stress reduction group showed higher scores in the social-emotional domain. No differences among the study groups were observed in language, motor and adaptive scores.

Exploratory analyses of the entire study population demonstrated positive associations between the Mediterranean diet score and cognitive and language Bayley-III domains.

A higher intake of docosahexaenoic acid, an omega‑3 fatty acid found in fish oils, was linked to better language scores. In comparison, higher trans fatty acid intake was inversely associated with social-emotional and language scores.

Trans fats, though naturally occurring in dairy products and animal fats, are more commonly ingested in the 21st century through the consumption of processed foods high in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Levels of trans fats in the bloodstream of breastfed infants fluctuate with the amounts found in their milk, which in turn varies according to the mother’s diet. A 1999 study reported percentages of trans fats in proportion to total fats in human milk ranging from one percent in Spain to seven percent in Canada and the United States.

Although the authors note certain limitations of their study, such as the fact that participants were selected from among those deemed at high risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, they conclude that structured maternal lifestyle interventions based on the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy contributed to improved cognitive and social-emotional scores in children at age two.

The team believes the findings support the notion that a healthy dietary pattern like the Mediterranean diet may positively influence fetal neurodevelopment. Randomized clinical trials and assessments in additional patient populations will further understanding of the mechanisms involved.

Working memory refers to a system in the brain responsible for temporarily holding and manipulating information necessary for performing complex cognitive tasks.

The researchers believe their findings should be considered when developing public programs and educational policies targeting school-age children.

“Working memory is a short-term memory; it is the ability to remember information and to build on it,” Laura Dallolio, a researcher at the University of Bologna and co-author of the study, told Olive Oil Times. “It is like having a blackboard one can take notes on, retain and elaborate on.”

Using a standard test in working memory research, the researchers gave 106 students aged 6 to 10 from the northern Italian town of Imola a series of numbers to remember, asking them to repeat the numbers back in reverse order.

By gradually adding new numbers to the series, thus increasing the difficulty of the challenge, scientists could test the limits of the efficiency of the students’ working memory.

“We did not expect these results, as the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet on students have rarely been researched, and they are usually broadly associated with well-being and general health,” Dallolio said.

The researchers explained that better working memory is linked with improved learning skills, affecting academic achievement and opportunity.

Language skills, reading comprehension, mathematics and reasoning are all impacted by working memory. “It is a function that continues developing until about 12,” Dallolio said.

Along with problem-solving, self-control and mental flexibility, working memory is among the main executive brain functions, all of which are interrelated.

“Research has proven that physical activity and the Mediterranean diet affect cognitive function,” Francesco Esposito, a researcher at the University of Bologna and co-author of the study, told Olive Oil Times. “It has also shown that the intake of polyphenols and other Mediterranean diet contents impact cognitive health.”

“In the latest edition of the MedDiet pyramid, physical activity is shown at the base of the pyramid,” he added. “That is because dietary habits and physical activity are strictly connected, so they are considered together.”

“It is a virtuous circle,” Alice Masini, a researcher at the University of Bologna and co-author of the study, told Olive Oil Times. “One cannot say if more significant physical activity comes from healthier dietary choices or vice versa. They are two aspects deeply linked to each other.”

“When we see the data collected from the participating schools, we cannot say if the outcome is due to the dietary habits or to the physical activity, as the focus is on the whole of the impact and outcomes,” she added.

To evaluate the Mediterranean diet adherence of the students, researchers collected data from parents and caregivers about their children’s eating habits.

Using a benchmark food index, researchers assigned positive and negative scores to the different food choices to measure the impact of healthy and less healthy diets.

“As an example, the index assigns a positive score to the regular daily consumption of vegetables,” Rossella Sacchetti, a researcher at the University of Bologna and co-author of the research, told Olive Oil Times. “On the contrary, it gives a negative score to dietary intake that does not belong to the healthy model of the Mediterranean diet, such as not having breakfast, eating fast food or consuming sweets daily.”

“Thanks to this index, we were able to pair the food scores of the pupils to their working memory abilities,” she added. “Previous studies focused on the consumption of specific nutrients or specific groups of foods.”

The data collected from students and families also show a tangible relationship between a father’s education status and a student’s healthy food intake and working memory outcomes.

According to the researchers, these findings demonstrate how family-based factors determine crucial aspects of children’s cognitive functions.

“That relationship was very evident in all our analysis,” Esposito said. “The fathers’ degree of education was linked to the family’s socio-economic status and the children’s working memory. This impacts healthy food choices and sport practice opportunities.”

However, the researchers said further studies investigating the cognitive health impacts of following the Mediterranean diet and exercise must be done to confirm these findings.

“If we want to establish and understand a cause-effect relationship [between Mediterranean diet adherence and working memory functions], such longitudinal studies should unfold across longer periods of time,” Sacchetti said.

“Our future research will also focus on how dietary habits and physical activity can exert a role in determining the inhibitory abilities of children, which are essential to developing self-control successfully,” Masini added.

The research team said they are currently working on more broad research around the impact of consuming the Mediterranean diet on young students.

Javier Fernandez-Salvador, the Olive Center’s executive director, told Olive Oil Times that the pilot program was, to his knowledge, the first of its kind in the United States that provided a comprehensive sensorial analysis and olive oil cooking class for children.

“We wanted to experiment and see how everything went, and I think it went really well,” he said. “Our next approach will include doing a specific class for children. We need to reach this target audience first and expand from there.”

Over two days at the Robert Mondavi Institute in Davis, the adolescents learned how to perform olive oil sensory evaluation, including how to identify some common olive oil defects, about olive oil food pairings and took part in an olive oil cooking class.

“We start with different exercises, going over what is bitter and astringent,” he said. “Then we show them how to perceive and use your retronasal.”

Once the adolescents learned how to taste, they were given samples of rancid olive oil that had once been quite a high-quality extra virgin and another fresh, green extra virgin olive oil.

Fernandez-Salvador said most of the children identified the rancid oil as the flavor profile they associated with olive oil.

However, everything changed after he gave them an excessively rancid olive oil that exhibited some fustiness, which occurs when olives have been stored improperly after the harvest and before milling and begin to ferment.

This whole process led to a discussion on olive oil defects and was immediately juxtaposed by tasting a very pungent and robust extra virgin olive oil.

Fernandez-Salvador said it was important for people to learn to differentiate defective olive oil from extra virgin olive oil at a young age. Like hearing or sight, both the senses of taste and smell begin to dull as people get older.

As a result, Fernandez-Salvador added that it is harder to train a 30-year-old to detect olive oil defects than it is to teach someone half of that age, which is the goal of the course. “It’s essential that we get people understanding oil at a younger age,” he said.

Thinking about how to cultivate best a sense of connection and curiosity about olive oil was also one of the reasons behind UC Davis asking chefs and cookbook authors Maria Loi and Jehangir Mehta to present the cooking section of the course.

Fernandez-Salvador, who has a teenage son himself, said that anecdotally he noticed many more young people becoming interested in cooking as a result of celebrity chefs and watching influencers present recipes on social media platforms, such as TikTok.

“We [also] covered a bit of the production,” he added. “We have a demonstration garden and a small orchard. We took them out there, and we did a little propagation. We showed them how trees are harvested.”

Fernandez-Salvador believes this type of education is necessary to increase per capita olive oil consumption in the United States and dispel some of the persistent myths about cooking with olive oil.

He intends to expand the Olive Center’s offering for children’s education in the coming year, including programs for young children.

Published in Food Chemistry by a team of Spanish researchers, the study is reportedly the first to evaluate the possible vertical transmission of polyphenols to the offspring of laboratory rats fed extra virgin olive oil during pregnancy and lactation.

The study’s results demonstrate that enzymatic and microbial metabolites of hydroxytyrosol were detected in the plasma of the mother and offspring and the lactic serum.

Hydroxytyrosol is a phenolic compound and powerful antioxidant. Its regular consumption has been associated with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, but it can also exert a role in preventing eye and skin conditions.

The scientists said breast milk contents might vary considerably during the lactation period. While approximately 87 percent of breast milk is water, the remaining 13 percent includes hormones, enzymes, immune factors and beneficial microorganisms.

Previously, researchers found that following the Mediterranean diet can affect the lipid composition of breast milk due to the unsaturated fats of extra virgin olive oil. In addition, the study’s authors noted olive oil consumption during pregnancy has proven beneficial for preventing wheezing in early childhood.

Using lab rats, the researchers hypothesized that there might be a direct connection between a mother’s olive oil consumption and an infant’s health.

“The concentration and number of hydroxytyrosol derivatives were higher than those of tyrosol, and the microbial metabolites were found in the highest concentration,” the researchers wrote.

“The observed vertical transmission of extra virgin olive oil phenolic compounds, whose health benefits are widely reported, provides further support for the importance of the maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation,” they added.

The results confirm earlier observations and research into the benefits of following the Mediterranean diet and extra virgin olive oil consumption on newborns.

A diet rich in monounsaturated fats during the prenatal period “makes the brain more plastic, more dynamic and therefore, probably, more resistant to any negative environmental stresses in adult life,” Marco Andrea Riva, a neuropsychologist at the University of Milan, told Olive Oil Times in a 2015 interview.

Other studies have shown a possible connection between following the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy and reducing the risk of newborns developing obesity.

According to other studies, the same diet could also protect infants from the Small for Gestational Age condition, a leading cause of mortality among newborns. In addition, olive oil consumption has also been found beneficial for children born with low birthweight.

Several previous studies suggested that extra virgin olive oil may be used as a dietary supplement for newborns unable to drink breast milk due to its content of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and its role in absorbing vitamin D.

• Food Chemistry

“Mediterranean countries have gone from having one of the healthiest diets in the world to one where sweets, fast food and sugary drinks have displaced fruit, vegetables, olive oil and fish,” according to a 64-page report published last month.

The report’s authors calculated that Spain now has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in Europe, surpassed only by Cyprus, with almost 20 percent of its seven to eight-year-olds being clinically obese. This is considerably higher than the European average of approximately 12.5 percent.

As a major part of its research, the organization carried out a new survey using the National Health Survey of Spain (ENSE) 2017 criteria to determine the scope of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in this area.

Their analysis of the results indicated that before the pandemic, levels of excess weight in Spanish children had slowly begun to decline in line with those of other Mediterranean countries such as Greece and Portugal.

However, the pandemic, with its consequent movement restrictions in conjunction with the closure of schools and sports facilities, saw that positive trend reverse with a 0.9 percent increase in excess weight among under-18s by September 2021.

The authors warned that this increase may even be an underestimation, given that pandemic restrictions also saw a dramatic reduction in the number of routine pediatric visits at which more detailed and accurate information is recorded.

While the pandemic has clearly impacted the activity, diet and finances of the population at large, it accounts for only an isolated part of the problem.

The lifestyle and dietary habits of the Mediterranean olive-growing regions have seen hugely significant changes in the decades following World War II, with the introduction of fast food, the consumption of large quantities of red meats and other harmful habits.

In recent years, the trend has accelerated. For example, the average consumption of fish and seafood in Spain decreased by approximately 30 percent between 2000 and 2019. The growing popularity of carbonated beverages has also altered the population’s nutritional profile.

According to the 2019 ANIBES study, the average energy consumption of the Spanish population was 1,810 kilocalories per diem, of which 12 percent was delivered by beverages.

However, other population groups from France and Italy showed a lower proportion of energy provided by beverages (8 percent and 6 percent, respectively). Additionally, a significant shift among adults toward higher beer consumption instead of the more traditional red wine has taken place.

Catalina Perazzo, Save the Children’s director of social and political advocacy, said that “children in Sweden are [now] the closest to eating a Mediterranean diet in Europe.”

While this phenomenon is widespread, it is especially prevalent among lower-income households. The 2017 ENSE data revealed that the children of unskilled workers were three times more likely to suffer from obesity than those of parents in management positions.

This latest report provided more significant insights into the root causes of this disparity by analyzing diet quality, physical activity, sleep and screen time.

The researchers found socioeconomic status to be the most significant factor in all of these areas, most notably those related to physical activity.

More than 71 percent of high-income households were reported to engage in physical activity or sports regularly compared to 41 percent of low-income households.

Conversely, while 46 percent of children in low-income households were reported to spend more than five hours a day in front of a screen, the data for high-income households showed nearly 80 percent of children spending less than one hour each day in this way.

A similar relationship was found in dietary habits, with 18 percent of children from low-income households consuming confectionery daily, 5 percent consuming carbonated beverages daily and 2 percent consuming fast food daily.

The corresponding figures from high-income households were 10 percent, 0 percent and 0 percent, respectively.

The authors concluded that “in households with lower incomes, the possibilities of accessing the food necessary for a balanced diet [and] paying for extracurricular or non-sedentary leisure activities” are reduced.

As a result, they said urgent government action is needed at the national and regional levels to reverse these trends and safeguard children’s health and prosperity throughout the country.

• Save the Children

Research out of Iran shows that children who have been diagnosed with ADHD might find in the extra virgin olive oil-centered eating program a precious ally.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than six million children under 17 years of age are diagnosed with ADHD in the United States each year.

ADHD is a childhood neurodevelopmental disorder, which, in many cases, lasts into adulthood. ADHD patients often have trouble focusing and paying attention, might be subject to uncontrollable impulsive behaviors, enter a state of extreme activeness and take unnecessary risks.

They can squirm, fidget and not get along with others. Similar epidemiological data are found in many other countries.

The study was published in Clinical Nutrition by a team of nutrition researchers at Shahid Sadughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd, Iran. They investigated the association between adherence to the MedDiet and odds of ADHD in Iranian children.

The researchers analyzed the nutritional behaviors and mental conditions of 360 children aged 7 to 13 years old. One hundred twenty of them, diagnosed with ADHD, were assigned to a first group, while the others were part of two control groups.

To proceed with the screening and verify the ADHD diagnosis, scientists used the procedures described by the “Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders” published by the American Psychiatric Association.

“A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to measure food intake,” the research reads, while “the association of adherence to the Mediterranean diet with the odds ratio of ADHD [has been] examined by logistic regression.”

The researchers adjusted the data for “potential confounders,” including parents’ educational level, family economic status and ADHD history, physical activity and energy intake.

The results showed that the children in the highest tertile of adherence to MedDiet had lower odds of having ADHD when compared to the children in the lowest.

“In addition, an association was observed between increasing trend adherence to Mediterranean diet and decrease odds of ADHD after full adjustments,” the scientists wrote.

In a recent paper published by Scientific Reports, a research team from Wageningen University in the Netherlands confirmed the role of food intake in addressing ADHD insurgence.

In their study, conducted on boys of 8 to 10 years of age, the scientists examined the results of dietary limitation and interventions, some focusing on introducing olive oil, with results showing reduced ADHD symptoms.

Even with their different approach to a broader understanding of ADHD insurgence, both studies confirm previous research, which had also associated reduced ADHD with Mediterranean diet adherence.

Research conducted in 2017 in Spain on 120 children between 6 and 16 years has shown that ADHD-diagnosed youngsters can significantly benefit from a healthy diet.

More specifically, the researchers from the University of Barcelona found that those participants who did not closely adhere to MedDiet had a three to seven times greater risk of ADHD.

Examining that study’s results, Michael Wald, director of longevity services at Integrated Nutrition in Mount Kisco, New York, told Olive Oil Times that “ADHD is known to involve abnormalities in the cell membrane structure of brain neurons.”

“These cells are partly composed of unsaturated fat that includes omega‑3 fatty acids, which provide neuro-protection and afford the brain and nervous system the ability to self-correct,” he added. “The MedDiet is particularly high in healthy fat, as it includes the omega‑3 fatty acids from fish, along with the monounsaturated fatty acids found in avocados and olive oil.”

“These fats become incorporated into the brains of those with ADHD, potentially improving memory, attention, mood, behavior and even learning,” Wald concluded.

Nutrition’s role in curtailing ADHD is seen as a priority by researchers. The scientific team of the Wageningen University specified in their paper how “generally prescribed drugs for ADHD are not effective 24 hours per day and can cause sleeping problems, decreased appetite, headache and stomach-ache, frequently resulting in discontinuation of the medication.”

“Therefore, novel treatments, preferably aiming at the underlying triggers or causes of ADHD, are needed,” they added.

The Iranian research team has also stressed the growing evidence of how a healthy nutrition regimen can significantly address ADHD.

“We found that higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet containing vegetables, legumes, fruits and nuts, grains, and fish could decrease the odds of ADHD in primary school children. Further studies are suggested to approve our vision,” the researchers concluded.

• Clinical Nutrition
• Nature
• Centers for Disease Control

Small for Gestational Age (SGA) is a condition that affects 27 percent of all births globally and can lead to breathing and oxygenation problems for newborns and further health problems as they become adults.

The new research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association focused on the effects of following the Mediterranean diet and the adoption of mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques on pregnant women. Both were compared to usual care.

Researchers analyzed a sample of more than 1,200 women with singleton pregnancies at high SGA risk. Scientists working in the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona divided the sample into three groups.

The first one – focused on the Mediterranean diet – received two hours monthly of individual and group educational sessions. Those participants were also given supplements of extra virgin olive oil and walnuts.

The second group worked with stress reduction techniques for eight weeks, while the third group was cared for according to the existing institutional protocols.

“The primary endpoint was the percentage of newborns who were SGA at delivery, defined as birth weight below the 10th percentile,” wrote the researchers.

“The secondary endpoint was a composite adverse perinatal outcome (at least one of the following: preterm birth, preeclampsia, perinatal mortality, severe SGA, neonatal acidosis, low Apgar score or presence of any major neonatal morbidity),” they added.

Of the 1,184 women who completed the trial, 88 newborns from the control group were afflicted with SGA. In the Mediterranean diet group, this number dropped to 55, while the stress reduction techniques group had 61 SGA births.

The numbers suggest that adopting the Mediterranean diet almost halved the SGA risk. Similar beneficial effects of following the Mediterranean diet also were reported for the outcomes of specific SGA births investigated by the researchers.

While the results once again promote the Mediterranean diet for pregnancy, researchers warned that the study should only be considered preliminary.

They stressed the relevance of replicating these research findings in follow-up studies and other populations before recommending the Mediterranean diet to SGA-risk patients.

However, previous studies have shown that following the diet may have other beneficial effects for pregnant women.

One study conducted in Spain showed that eating whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, fatty fish and olive oil reduced the risk of babies becoming obese in the early years of childhood by 32 percent.

Other studies showed how following a Mediterranean diet might significantly curb pregnancy-related weight gain and reduce the risk of gestational diabetes.

In the recent past, researchers also have found that the administration of extra virgin olive oil during pregnancy might prevent prenatal oxidative damage and improve brain health in adult age.

• Journal of the American Medical Association
• PubMed

Researchers in Calabria – the second largest olive oil-producing region in Italy – analyzed the serum of healthy adolescents, aged 14 to 17.

They found higher levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in the serum of adolescents more closely adhering to the Mediterranean diet.

“Our results highlight the importance of the Mediterranean diet as a choice of healthy dietary quality in adolescents,” Daniela Bonofiglio, a professor of pathology, nutrition and dietetics at the University of Calabria, told Olive Oil Times.

“Serum from optimal adherers showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which may exert a positive impact on the prevention of metabolic and chronic diseases in adulthood,” she added.

Using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and teenagers (KIDMED), the researchers scored adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the adolescents that participated in the study.

A value of +1 was assigned for the intake of whole cereals or grain, vegetables, fruits, legumes, dairy products, fish, nuts and olive oil. A value of −1 was assigned for skipping breakfast, eating fast food and consuming baked goods and sweets.

The results were ranked from zero to 12, with ‘optimal adherence’ considered a score of eight or more and ‘poor adherence’ a score of three or lower.

Subjects provided information on their daily meals through a 24-hour dietary recall completed via an interview conducted by nutritionists. This enabled the potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to be assessed using various biomarkers, as well as nutritional intake.

The results of the study showed that among the 43 percent of participants who scored in the ‘optimal adherence’ category, there was clear evidence of increased levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Bonofiglio was encouraged by the results and said they further demonstrate the importance of a healthy diet for adolescents.

“We think that the empowerment of the Mediterranean diet adherence represents a protective choice against a wide spectrum of chronic diseases, including cancer,” she said.

The research team plans to continue investigating the impact of consuming a Mediterranean diet on young people.

“Based on our recent results, we will investigate in adolescents the association of biochemical serum parameters with polyphenolic content of the Mediterranean diet foods, which have received considerable attention for their antioxidant health-promoting properties in many chronic disorders,” Bonofiglio said.

“Moreover, we will deeply explore the micronutrients composition of the Mediterranean diet in correlation with circulating levels of biomarkers of deficiency in our population sample,” she concluded.

• Antioxidants
• Pharmaceuticals

According to data from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative, one in five boys in countries like Greece, Italy and Spain are now obese. Comparatively, less than 10 percent of kids from Northern European countries, such as Norway and Ireland, were obese.

As it turns out, the Mediterranean diet is no longer in favor with most of Southern Europe, according to the WHO researchers. Kristie Lancaster, associate professor of nutrition at New York University, told MarketWatch that the latest data is significant because it marks the expansion of what she called “the American diet.”

This is to say that American fast food establishments, such as McDonald’s, can be easily found around the world. For this reason, more people in regions such as southern Europe, are seeing their diets altered by the availability of saltier, less healthy options.

“It is crucial to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables in children while reducing their intake of sweets and particularly sugary soft drinks,” said João Breda, head of the WHO European Office for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, Moscow, Russian Federation. “It also very important to increase the awareness of parents and families on the problem of childhood obesity, given that our data show that many mothers do not recognize their children as overweight or obese.”

The Mediterranean diet consists of primarily consuming fruits, vegetables, legumes, unrefined grains, olive oil and fish and, although it typically includes low-fat or skim dairy products, experts say there is no reason why children cannot thrive on the plan as long as they consume whole milk until the age of two, professor of nutrition and pediatrics Rachel Johnson told CNN.

In adults, the Mediterranean diet is thought to improve brain, heart and bone health. For children, the diet can do a world of good as well, potentially reducing the risk of obesity, asthma and allergies.

Although there are numerous studies citing the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, it’s worth noting that you should always consult your doctor before making dietary changes. He or she can give you insight into how you can improve your overall well-being in a safe manner.

• World Health Organization


• CNN

I could not say no to an invitation from Gisa Di Nicola, who opened Oliocentrica last June with her husband Fabrizio Gargano (who is an illustrator), with an aim to offer high-quality extra virgin olive oils and spread olive oil culture through courses and meetings.

“I was thinking about how to bring children closer to olive oil,” Gisa told me. “I realized that middle school kids in Italy, besides being at a difficult age, must also choose which type of senior high school to attend and this may partly affect their future work path. So, why not try an olive oil experience to stimulate their thinking?” Which meant that extra virgin olive oil should be at the center of my talk as an inspirational subject for children more familiar than most withextra virgin olive oil since they live in a production area — an audience whose attention can be difficult to hold.

I started talking about my childhood among olive trees in Tuscany, the university, and work. At that time, I was an olive oil taster for passion, then, going back to my roots, a professional evolution led me to go deeper into the world of extra virgin olive oil and I started to work as a consultant and writer.

“Why is this oil called extra virgin?” Alfredo asked. “This means that it is very good, that it has been made correctly, and actually the farmer has given the very best of himself in making it,” I replied. “In this sense, you can see that an olive tree and its oil are always associated with good and beautiful things,” I added.

It takes dedication and passion in making a healthy and tasty product, which is even better when nature is respected, as a producer recently told me. “You can feel the extraordinary energy coming from good things when you walk through olive groves,” I said, describing the beauty of olive trees and the magnificence of monumental ones, which are a precious treasure to be preserved.

Playing upon their status of digital natives, I outlined the new impetus introduced in recent years by research and new technologies. “Facilitated by technical advances and motivated by the growing interest of people in good and healthy food, producers have started to exploit the many varieties of olive trees growing in our country, which are almost six hundred, not to mention all those undisclosed,” I pointed out, illustrating widespread and rare cultivars which give us delicious extra virgin olive oils. “Biodiversity is a resource, just as your own diversity is,” I invited them to consider this, which got their attention.

“You and your friends, with so different characters and attitudes, enjoy each other’s company and look good together, and the same thing happens with different varieties, which can be used both alone and together with other varieties to create yummy blends,” I suggested simply.

I encouraged them to think about how different aromas and flavors are important in olive oils like the color shades are fundamental to Fabrizio’s sketches of this scene, which he worked on in a corner of the room. “In making extra virgin olive oil, care of the details is fundamental from the olive grove to the mill, as care for details is important in making all the significant things in life,” I said.

“Furthermore, let us think about how extra virgin olive oil, in its several and different expressions depending on the territory of origin, is at the heart of so different cultures,” I considered, explaining how international events bring together oils and tasters from different countries and backgrounds and showing how these differences enrich our lives.

So, I introduce them to Xie Na, a taster an exporter who organizes events to show how Italian extra virgin olive oil can be paired with Chinese cuisine. “I use monovarietals and blends which admirably join traditional food of my country of origin,” she explained. “Just to give you one example, I recently prepared an egg and tomato dish with a monovarietal Nocellara del Belice from Sicily.” This shows thatextra virgin olive oil can be used not only in the context of the Mediterranean diet but also in other dietary patterns, thanks to its attractive flavors and healthy properties.

“My mother who is a medical doctor told me that,” Alessandro agreed, and then some kids started asking questions: Luca, like a real expert, asked me what stage has Italian olive growing reached. Andrea revealed that he will go to scientific high school, while Matteo will attend agricultural classes. In any case, I called on them to always follow their hearts, because “if one advances confidently in the direction of his (or her) dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours,” as one of my favorite writers, Henry David Thoreau, said.

This means that if you do your work with passion you will get great results, like the Villa Pontina by Francesco Le Donne who brought to our gathering the very first bottles of his new Itrana harvest.

We enjoyed the first expression of a great extra virgin olive oil fresh out of the mill and bottled a few hours earlier while showing kids how to taste it. Some of them, like Serena and Arianna, already knew how to do it and did it pretty well, showing off the typical strippagio noise of slurping, and trying to detect flavors and aromas before we enjoyed a snack of bruschetta together.

A study conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, however, found no substantial health improvements in the menu offerings. What is more, the amount of sugar in beverage options for children appeared to be alarmingly high.

The new study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and was the first of its kind to examine trends in the nutritional content of children’s meals among US restaurant chains, at a time when many were transitioning towards healthier menu choices.

The researchers employed data acquired from the nutrition census MenuStat, and looked into trends in the nutrient content of 4,016 beverages, main courses, side dishes, and desserts offered on children’s menus in 45 of the nation’s top 100 fast food, fast casual, and full-service restaurant chains between 2012 and 2015. Out of the total number of restaurant chains, fifteen were Kids LiveWell partakers.

It was found that neither group showed substantial improvement in the number of calories, saturated fat, or sodium in menu offerings for children over the first three years after the launch of the Kids LiveWell project in 2011. Children’s desserts had almost as many calories and roughly twice the amount of saturated fat as the main course, while the average children’s entree far exceeded recommendations for sodium and saturated fat.

In addition, eighty percent of children’s beverage options were sugary drinks, and this even though individual restaurants had vowed to gradually cut them out. The study also showed that whenever restaurant owners excluded soda from the menus, they tended to replace it with flavored milk and sweetened teas.

“This study highlights the importance of monitoring restaurant commitments over time, both to hold the industry accountable to their pledges, and to assess whether further improvements are made down the road,” said to Olive Oil Times lead author Alyssa Moran, a doctoral student in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard Chan School.

Asked why no actual progress has been made regarding the quality of kids’ menus, Moran answered that this is mainly an accountability issue. To participate in Kids LiveWell, restaurants are only required to offer one meal and one other item that meet certain nutritional requirements. Although this is a step in the right direction, restaurants can get credit for participating by making only very minimal changes.

“Modifying the program to require that all kids’ menu items meet nutritional standards, and offering guidelines for healthy beverages would likely have a bigger impact. With that said, many of the restaurants chains in our study have thousands of locations nationwide and may just be slow to adopt voluntary pledges, rather than resistant to change. Kids deserve foods that taste good and provide the nutrients they need to grow and develop into healthy adults, and restaurants are in a great position to make those types of foods available,” continued Moran.

The scientist also stressed that there needs to be more collaboration between chefs, foodservice executives, and nutrition scientists to come up with innovative, financially viable solutions, citing a program called Menus of Change, which was created by The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard School of Public Health, and which seeks to do just that.

“Local governments can also play a role in connecting restaurants with public health experts. In Philadelphia, the Department of Public Health worked with Chinese take-out restaurant owners to reduce salt in their foods by providing training from professional chefs and by working with distributors to offer lower sodium ingredients,” the lead author of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study reported.

“These types of programs can work, especially if restaurants feel there is a demand for healthier options from their customers. So, there’s also a role for parents to play, in telling restaurants they want healthier options for their kids!”

• Trends in Nutrient Content of Children’s Menu Items in U.S. Chain Restaurants


• National Restaurant Association

In Italy, a country known for its rich culinary heritage and exquisite produce, the greatest fear is that these traditions might eventually be submerged beneath the weight of media advertising for foreign, low-quality processed foods.

While some Italians may do little more than lament the likely demise of centuries of culinary tradition, Nicola Di Noia, an olive oil sommelier and agronomist at the Italian farmers’ association, Coldiretti, has decided to do something about it.

Di Noia’s work is a testimony to his passion for olive oil and he has begun to hold instructional tastings with children as young as 4 years old.

During a recent event, one-third of the attendees were the children of olive oil and wine enthusiasts, Di Noia said, but the rest were the sons and daughters of ordinary Italians, perhaps looking for a way to share their rich culinary heritage with the younger generation.

As many parents simply give up and often feed their children whatever they want, Di Noia is trying to help kids discover a whole new world of flavors and scents, and starting them on the road to better nourishment.

The question is, can young children be taught to distinguish low-quality olive oil from antioxidant-rich extra virgin olive oil? And how can they benefit from that knowledge in the long term? Di Noia shared details of his unique experience with Olive Oil Times.

OOT: Why did you start out with the olive oil tastings for kids?

Di Noia: Children are our future, it is important that they understand immediately that eating properly is essential for their lives. Proper education about nutrition should be a core subject in schools. If children learn to distinguish good food from bad, they will surely live a better life. Extra virgin olive oil is essential for a proper nutrition. Learning to recognize qualityextra virgin olive oil oil is easy, and it can also be fun. Children are always ready to face new experiences, they lack the constraints and preconceptions that often burden adults. If they learn from a young age how to use their sense of smell and taste, they will be able to choose better food throughout their lives.

OOT: How was your first experience tasting with children?

Di Noia: It was exciting. I tried it with a small group of children, who also included my own children, and their responses were enthusiastic and full of joy. I was encouraged by this, and we started doing the first tastings in schools, and then we expanded to different locations, but we always made a point of creating a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere. We made the children feel at ease, so they could focus on olfactory recognition activities and the tasting of the oils.

OOT: What do you want to achieve with these events?

Di Noia: I wish to spread the culture of quality extra virgin olive oil, and teach children that olive oils are not all alike. Raising awareness in children is also a way to rapidly reach their parents. When kids learn that recognizing quality extra virgin olive oil is essential for their health, parents become aware of it too. As a result, parents are more willing to search for quality oils for the good of their children, who now have the ability to appreciate them. Oils rich in polyphenols and antioxidants can be recognized through sensory and scent analysis. They smell like cut grass, tomato, almond, and they reveal hints of bitter and spicy flavors when tasted. It is important to know these things, and it’s never too early or too late to learn.

OOT: What kind of specific responses do you get from the kids? Do they enjoy the events?

Di Noia: For them, it is a lot of fun. They feel like they are playing a game. They not only learn how olive oil is produced and stored, but they also rediscover their senses, especially smell and taste. During the tastings, children also have the opportunity to smell natural products, such as grass, artichokes, and tomatoes. The idea is to familiarize them with the scents of these products, so that they can rediscover them in oil. The sessions are never too theoretical. They combine knowledge with games. It is very important to make them interact, to get them to talk and judge foul smells, because they should also be able to tell when an oil is of poor quality.

OOT: How has globalization changed the diet of Italian children?

Di Noia: Some modern eating patterns are unfortunately spreading an inappropriate diet. Children are eating more and more snacks, which are very rich in sugar, inexpensive, and readily available, but they also damage their health. Advertising has changed our lifestyle and eating habits in a decisive manner, especially for children. Adults must help them make better choices, because it is too late later in life to reverse the effects of a poor nutrition.

Coldiretti, with the aid of the Campagna Amica Foundation, is dedicated to helping families make informed decisions about food, favoring local Italian produce, and highlighting the need to consume seasonal products. Children must learn to consume more fruits and vegetables and to prefer products made with whole grain or unrefined flours.

Thanks to its scents and sensory characteristics, extra virgin olive oil can steer children towards foods that do not often attract them, such as vital legumes. Qualityextra virgin olive oil oil is a fruit juice with strong antioxidant powers. We should bring back the tradition of the old times, when instead of industrial products, children used to eat bread and olive oil as a snack.

OOT: What was the most unexpected response you ever got from a child?

Di Noia: After one of our tastings, a little girl went back in school and taught the whole lesson to her classmates, leaving everyone speechless, including the teacher!

• The Guardian


• La Stampa

When it comes to breakfast in Andalusia, there is perhaps no more signature sustenance than a tostada con aceite, often topped with a layer of crushed tomato. In fact, across Spain it is common for locals to walk into any bar, café or even a gas station restaurant and order the iconic day-starter, which by default comes dripping with olive oil.

So, naturally, on the day that exalts all things Andalusia — the world’s leading region for olive oil production — liquid gold is an important part of the school program. The goal, according to the Andalusian government, is to educate and help preserve the region’s agricultural tradition by bringing classrooms closer to local products, particularly olive oil.

To that end, the Ministry of Agriculture provided schools across Andalucía with 7,650 bottles of extra virgin olive oil from the region of Sierra Mágina, which is located in the province of Jaén.

The activity, explained Andalusia’s president Carmen Ortiz, “demonstrates a healthy way of eating, which includes the Mediterranean diet, and it highlights one of the things we do best in Andalucía, which is the production of top quality food.”

This initiative is part of a program called Creciendo en Salud, or Growing in Health, which is carried out by the Ministry of Education. Its overall objective is to encourage a variety of healthy habits, including good nutrition. Along with olive oil, the program also advocates for the consumption of local fruits and vegetables.

Olive oil is a key component in Andalusia Day celebrations across the region; from schools to special hospital menus, to tastings at public recreation centers for the elderly.

• Junta de Andalucía


• ASAJA Jaén


• IDEAL

Over the course of last week, 156 schools across the region of Jaén, Spain, and some 40,000 students, were united to celebrate the Semana Escolar del Aceite de Oliva, the School Week of Olive Oil.

The event included a variety of activities adapted for children of all ages, from toddlers to teenagers ranging from crafts to readings, theater, and, of course, tastings through which the kids can discover extra virgin’s flavors and aromas. Students will learn about olive oil’s history in the region, and even how it has inspired poets and painters who’ve passed through.

The ultimate goal is to teach young locals the value of extra virgin, particularly when it comes to its health benefits, thus developing them into consumers and ambassadors of the region’s liquid gold.

It’s a worthy objective. Though Jaén is the world’s top olive oil-producing region, its residents often know relatively little about the benefits of extra virgin and how best to appreciate it.

María Molero Villar, an owner of Jaén-based Cortijo Spiritu Santo olive oil, explained to Olive Oil Times: “It’s important to teach even the youngest of kids the value of high-quality olive oil so that they appreciate it and its health benefits. They are our future consumers.”

“Our aim,” said Francisco Reyes, the president of the local government, “is to continue working with this idea that olive oil and the culture around olives get the attention and respect they deserve.”

The weeklong initiative was driven by the government of Andalusia and forms part of the second annual Fiesta del Primer Aceite de la Cosecha, which officially kicks off the harvest season.

This “Festival of the Harvest’s First Oil” takes place throughout November in Jaén and beyond. Other event highlights include tastings, workshops, and some 50 bars and 30 restaurants that are featuring the newly produced oils.

• Ideal and El País

The results of the study conducted by Dr. Gianluca Tognon from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden were first presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Sofia, Bulgaria last June.

Researchers examined data gathered from the IDEFICS study, a European project that lasted from September 2006 to February 2012 with the goal of assessing the problem of obesity in children.

Data from IDEFICS included height, weight, body fat percentage and waist circumference from children in Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Estonia and Sweden. In relation to the children’s diets, parents filled out a questionnaire supplied from IDEFICS that defined the frequency with which 43 common foods were consumed. Dr. Tongon’s team gathered additional dietary data by interviewing a sample of parents from the IDEFICS study.

Children were then scored on their adherence to foods considered to be staples of a Mediterranean diet, including fish, vegetables, fruits, cereal grains and nuts. A single point was given for every Mediterranean food group eaten, and another point was given if children had a low intake of foods not considered typical of the Mediterranean diet like meat and dairy.

The results of Dr. Tognon’s study showed that children with a higher number of points were 10 to 15 percent less likely to be overweight or obese compared to children with a lower number of points. These children were also less likely to go through major changes on the BMI scale or gain body fat.

The study also showed that Italian children were the most likely to consume a Mediterranean diet and in Sweden, where the children had the highest frequencies of intakes of
cereal grains, fruit, nuts and vegetables.

“The take home message,” Dr. Tognon said, “is that there is a need to recommend to children a dietary pattern, particularly in the Mediterranean countries where people might still be convinced that they are following a diet like this, which is often not true anymore.”

• Mediterranean diet, overweight and body composition in children from eight European countries: Cross-sectional and prospective results from the IDEFICS study

Extra virgin olive oil contains omega 3 and omega 6 in similar portions to breast milk fat and the same percentage of linoleic acid, making it an indispensable food for the myelination of nerve fibres and brain development. It is easy to digest and helps gastric functioning, preventing constipation and colic.

Olive oil helps absorb vitamin D, which is important for growing babies and children because it regulates calcium and phosphorus and encourages the intake of minerals essential to the process of ossification. This protects children against bone fractures in their tender years and the risk of osteoporosis in old age.

In recent findings, there has been a rise in cholesterol levels in children, a great contributor to obesity that affects one out of three children between 6 and 9 years of age. Since olive oil lowers total blood cholesterol levels, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, doctors have recommended replacing animal fats with olive oil to help combat the rising obesity in children.
See Also: Olive Oil Health Benefits
A lower risk of asthma has also been reported in mothers who have consumed a consistent amount of olive oil throughout pregnancy. Their babies have been found to have a more developed immune system, and lower risk of rhinitis and allergies.

Olive oil is even said to be effective in curing cradle cap. Applied to the parts of the head affected by cradle cap before normal cleansing, olive oil’s hydrating properties can act as a natural remedy.

In Italy, doctors strongly recommend using olive oil in solids for babies being weaned off breast milk. They even recommend adding it to a baby’s bottle of expressed or even formula milk to gain the benefits of the substance, especially for babies suffering from colic. This is because olive oil can facilitate the natural gastric process and contains oleuropein. This natural anti-inflammatory substance reproduces the natural effects of ibuprofen, the active ingredient widely used in the production of pain medication.

Saverio Pandolfi from the Italian Institute of Plant Genetics discussed this in depth. The researcher said olive oil is the most similar food to breast milk for babies, and he recommends starting with a teaspoon-full of high-quality extra virgin olive oil in every meal prepared for the baby.

“Olive oil is not only pleasing to every child because it reminds him of breast milk, but even to those who have never had oil in their diet,” said Pandolfi, such as Eskimos or Africans.

While olive oil may offer nutritional benefits, it is crucial to understand that it should never replace breast milk or infant formula. Breast milk and formula are specifically formulated to provide all the essential nutrients a baby needs for healthy growth and development. While containing some beneficial components, olive oil does not offer the complete and balanced nutrition infants require. Consult with your pediatrician or a registered dietitian before introducing new foods to your baby’s diet.

Plasmon, one of Italy’s most popular baby food companies, produces olive oil exclusively for weaning babies. It is made with olives produced and pressed in Italy only and using techniques that the company says ensure the oil maintains more of its health benefits.

The Mediterranean diet starts young in Italy.

• Olive oil is good as breast milk


• Extra virgin olive oil: healthy as breast milk due to the omega 3 and omega (esseredonnaonline.it)


• Olive oil is like mother’s milk (TGCOM24

If you come to Italy, you are going to be eating some good food. This has been a common denominator for a while now. The reason isn’t due to the fact that Italy has a better climate for growing good food or that better food is available here. It’s a question of education — education that has been instilled in children growing up in Italy since the beginning.

The key to a healthy lifestyle lies in the education of healthy eating from a young age. This is something that is passed down to children in an Italian family — it is part of their mentality.
See Also: Olive Oil Health Benefits
There are not as many pre-made frozen foods, and most families opt to cook from scratch using fresh ingredients and preferring real foods to processed ones. Even in families with hectic schedules and restricted time, a fresh, home-cooked meal is a must here.

Italians live longer than most — on average 83.1 years — compared to 79.8 for Americans and 79.5 for Brits. It’s the Mediterranean diet and the general attitude towards food in Italy that form the better general health of Italians, and their higher life expectancy.

The educational farm ‘Il Podere’ in Umbria is one of the many places where healthy eating habits starts young.

In the countryside, in the Petrignano of Assisi, Umbria, surrounded by fields and hills that change color according to the seasons of the year, the farm offers courses to schools about the importance of olive oil in our daily diet.

During September, October and November educational courses are offered to children from early years to high school.

A typical day out for school children would be to see the olive grove and be taught the various techniques of olive harvesting, to the actual production of the olive oil and, finally, tasting. The children are taught to recognize quality olive oil using proper tasting techniques and how olive oil can be used as a healthier alternative in the baking of cakes, desserts and other foods.

The oil produced at the farm is said to have a bright green color and an intense, but pleasant taste.

Further down the boot in Rome, ‘Kids Enjoy Cooking,’ a newly opened cookery school that offers courses exclusively to children, combines the two important ingredients for a successful life according to the organizers: the English language and the importance of cooking from a young age.

Silvia Valentina Del Bufalo decided to make her ambition come true this year when she opened the school at her country house in Cesano near Rome and, due to high enrollment requests, she will be opening a new site in another area in Rome.

Del Bufalo uses all home-grown ingredients from her vegetable patch, her hen coop and, of course her beloved olive trees.

“Olive oil is the essence of our Mediterranean diet and we try to incorporate this ingredient in all of our lessons. Teaching the importance of healthy eating to children is something every mother would like. Together with learning English, it’s a perfect combination for Italian children.” Valentina said.

As times are changing, fast food is becoming more widely available and sometimes inevitable. Italy has its own ways to help keep children on the right track to a better diet. Be it olive oil tasting or lessons on how to use it, education will always be a fundamental ingredient in the local diet.

• The BBC


• The farm Il Podere


• Kids Enjoy Cooking