Fortification of nutritional products with olive extracts containing hydroxytyrosol and hydroxytyrosol fortified nutritional products.

Abstract

The present invention relates to nutritional products containing hydroxytyrosol, particularly fond products (i.e: fortified edible oils and fortified edible oil-containing products) and dietary supplements (i.e.: soft gel capsules containing fortified edible oils) with increased antioxidant capacity to be used as a source of hydroxytyrosol for preventing or treating cardiovascular diseases, plaque build-up in the arteries, arterial hypertension, and metabolic syndrome, thanks to the nutritional supply of an hydroxytyrosol rich composition.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to fortification of nutritional products with olive extracts containing hydroxytyrosol; it also relates to hydroxytyrosol fortified nutritional products and to the use of both olive extracts and the nutritional products fortified with olive extracts for medical use, in particular for prevention or treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), plaque build-up in the arteries, arterial hypertension, and metabolic syndrome.[0002]According to the invention, olive extract derived from olive fruit or olive oil extraction residues (pomace) is added to an edible oil and through this oil, to nutritional products, which results in an increase of the level of hydroxytyrosol. More particularly, the invention relates to the fortification of edible oil-containing products to be used as a source of hydroxytyrosol for preventing or treating cardiovascular diseases, plaque build-up in the arteries, arterial hypertension, and metabolic syndrome,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0045]It is an aim of the present invention to solve the above mentioned problems and to provide fortified edible oil and/or oil-containing food products to be used as a source of hydroxytyrosol for preventi

Problems solved by technology

This makes it harder for blood to flow.

If the coronary arteries become narrow, blood flow to the heart can slow down or stop, causing chest pain (stable angina), shortness of breath, heart attack, and other symptoms.

This is a common cause of heart attack and stroke.

If the clot moves into the heart, lungs, or brain, it can cause a stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism.

There is still a lot to be learned about metabolic syndrome, but doctors do know that people with metabolic syndrome have an increased risk of CVD.

The sensory aspect of these olive oils has great repercussions on its acceptability by consumers.

Summarizing, any way set up in order to increase antioxidant capacity using techniques based on fortification of olive oil with olive polyphenols, should not alter oils natural organoleptic characteristics, nor increase the amount of the bitter tasting olive polyphenols, otherwise incurring with the subsequent alteration of organoleptic properties of the oil, thus causing non-pleasant taste due to excessive bitterness, pungency and/or astringency, and subsequently causing rejection from many consumers.

The main problem connected with this process is associated with alteration of organoleptic properties of the vegetable oil, causing non-pleasant taste when excessive bitterness and/or astringency are produced in relation when oil increases its contents of polyphenols.

The main problem connected with methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,890 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,480 is that only polyphenols that are fat soluble are (partly) extracted from olive solid matter or olives into oil.

Nevertheless, this method is scarcely effective: none of the patent examples shows that the prepared food compositions reach concentrations in the water phase higher than 50 ppm for hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol together.

The use of organic solvents, for example methanol that is a toxic solvent, is i

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