Health and diet The particular composition of olive oil means that it can be considered an ideal dressing both for its excellent taste and for its chemical and physical characteristics. Olive oil indeed is produced by simply squeezing the drupe (the fruit of the olive tree), and it preserves its dietary and nutritional properties intact. For anyone wishing to keep fit and well it is important not only to eat, but to know what to eat. For more than 20 years now the Mediterranean Diet has been synonymous with good eating habits. The term Mediterranean Diet refers to the eating habits of the populations of central and southern Italy, southern France, Spain, the Middle East and north Africa. After the epidemiological research of the Seven Country Study, which revealed the healthy basis of these traditions, the Mediterranean Diet has been recommended as an ideal model diet for all industrialised countries. As an integral part of this diet, there has been a new appreciation of Italian products and good traditional cuisine, based on hard wheat, legumes, cheeses, a few animal fats, fish, a little meat, dried fruits, root vegetables, green vegetables and fruit. As regards the accompaniment, the experts are absolutely in agreement: uncooked extra virgin olive oil is best. olive oil  bio  cultivation trees labels history cultivation production health