Long used in sacred ceremonies and associated with good health, the nutritional and health promoting benefits of olives and olive oils have been proven by an ever-increasing body of science. From cardiovascular benefits to anti-microbial, anti-cancer, antioxidant activity and effects on macrophages and aptoptosis to cellular and pathophysiollogical process, olives and olive oils are proving important in many healthful ways. For example, reactive components in olive oils or olive oil by-products have now been isolated and identified. These include tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid elenolic acid and oleuropein. Oleic acid is the main monosaturated fatty acid of olive oil. These have putative protective effects and modulate the biochemistry of a variety of cell types including those of the vascular system. Some but not all components have been characterised by their putative pharmacological properties. It is possible that usage of these aforementioned products may have beneficial application in other disease. However, in order for this cross-fertilization to take place, a comprehensive understanding of olives and olive oils is required. Finding this knowledge in a single volume provides a key resource for scientists in a variety of food an nutritional roles. This title explores olives and olive oil from their general aspects to the detailed level of important micro-and micronutrients. It includes coverage of various methodologies for analysis to help scientists and chemists determine the most appropriate option for their own studies, including those of olive-related compounds in other foods. It relates, in a single volume resource, information for food and nutritional chemists, pharmaceutical scientists, nutritionists and dieticians. It presents information in three key categories: general aspects of olives an olive oils; nutritional, pharmacological and metabolic properties of olives and olive oil; and, specific components of olive oil and their effects on tissue and body systems.

Author Biography

Ronald R. Watson, Ph.D., attended the University of Idaho but graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, with a degree in chemistry in 1966. He earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Michigan State University in 1971. His postdoctoral schooling in nutrition and microbiology was completed at the Harvard School of Public Health, where he gained 2 years of postdoctoral research experience in immunology and nutrition. From 1973 to 1974 Dr. Watson was assistant professor of immunology and performed research at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He was assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at the Indiana University Medical School from 1974 to 1978 and associate professor at Purdue University in the Department of Food and Nutrition from 1978 to 1982. In 1982 Dr. Watson joined the faculty at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in the Department of Family and Community Medicine of the School of Medicine. He is currently professor of health promotion sciences in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman Arizona College of Public Health. Dr. Watson is a member of national and international nutrition, immunology, cancer, and alcoholism research societies. His patents are for antioxidant polyphenols in several dietary supplements including passion fruit peel extract, with more pending. This results from more than 10 years of polyphenol research in animal models and human clinical trials. He had done research on mouse AIDS and immune function for 20 years. For 30 years he was funded by NIH and Foundations to study dietary supplements in health promotion. Dr. Watson has edited more than 0 books on nutrition, dietary supplements and over-the-counter agents, and drugs of abuse, as scientific reference books. He has published more than 500 research and review articles.