DIETARY PREPARATION AND CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING ACTIVITY

Description

The present invention relates to a dietary preparation with cholesterol-lowering activity. Specifically, the present invention concerns a lemonized olive oil obtained by jointly pressing olives and lemons to provide an ideal balance of active ingredients and thus maximize its effect in reducing cholesterol and other harmful fats in the blood. In the field of nutrition, it has been scientifically proven that the consumption of various foods typical of the Mediterranean region (olive oil, vegetables, citrus fruits, fish, etc.), known as the Mediterranean diet, is effective in preventing both cardiovascular disease and systemic damage caused by endogenous oxidant molecules or those present in many foods. Both olives and citrus fruits contain active ingredients useful in controlling high levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood and are therefore essential for inhibiting the formation of atheromatous plaques, which play a key role in numerous cardiovascular diseases. Through a continued dietary intake of the active ingredients found in olive oil and lemons, it is possible to protect the circulatory system in general and the coronary circulation in particular. In an era of high-fat dietary habits like ours, there is a particularly pressing need for dietary factors that help prevent these cardiovascular diseases on a daily basis, the incidence of which has increased in recent years. At the same time, it is important that these dietary preparations have a pleasant taste, so as to be acceptable for daily and prolonged consumption. The inventor of the present patent application has surprisingly found that by jointly squeezing olives and lemons in certain weight ratios he is able to LONG 834 B (and others) Dr. Gì N. licr. (in fact it is possible to obtain a dietary preparation in which the active ingredients with hypocholesterolemic and antioxidant activity are present in an ideal and synergistic ratio to allow effective control of cardiovascular diseases in an individual who uses it for prolonged periods. The dietary preparation according to the present invention can be obtained by jointly pressing olives and lemons in a weight ratio of 0.80 to 0.90 kg of lemons per kg of olives. Preferably, this weight ratio will be between 0.84 and 0.88 kg of lemons per kg of olives, and more preferably, it will be 0.86 kg of lemons per kg of olives. It's important to include the peel in the lemons, as it contains many active ingredients useful in treating the conditions listed. Preferably, the lemons should be cut before being pressed. It is clearly essential that both the olives and lemons have been grown according to organic farming principles, meaning that they do not contain even traces of fungicides. The pressed product will not be refined according to the processes normally used for oils and will therefore be in the form of a lemony extra virgin olive oil. The pressing will preferably take place cold and will be soft. The methods used for pressing are those normally used by technicians in the field for pressing olives and will therefore not be described in further detail. The dietary preparation according to the present invention can be administered either as is or as a condiment in a normal diet. It should preferably be consumed raw. Dr. Already N. Is^C (in propót io LONG for others) The recommended use is daily, although in some cases administration every other day or, at most, two or three times a week may be sufficient. The preferred amount of dietary preparation for daily use is that normally used for raw oil as a dressing, that is, two or three tablespoons per day. It is also envisaged that the lemon oil according to the present invention may be used, in combination with pharmaceutically acceptable excipients and in a pharmaceutically effective dose, in the preparation of a drug with cholesterol-lowering, antiatheromatous, and antioxidant properties. A pharmaceutical formulation thus obtained also constitutes an object of the present invention. The advantages of the lemon oil according to the present invention are both that of having obtained a perfect balance and a synergistic effect between the active ingredients present in the starting products (olives and lemons), and of having provided a dietary preparation with a particularly pleasant taste, such as to encourage the consumer to use it daily.

Claims

1. Dietary preparation obtainable from the joint pressing of olives and lemons in a ratio of between 0.80 and 0.90 kg of lemons per kg of olives.

2. Dietary preparation according to claim 1, wherein the lemons are present in a weight ratio of between 0.84 and 0.88 kg per kg of olives, preferably 0.86 kg per kg of olives.

3. Dietary preparation according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lemons are squeezed including the peel.

4. Dietary preparation according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lemons are previously cut.

5. Dietary preparation according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said pressing is a soft and cold pressing.

6. Dietary preparation according to any of claims 1 to 5, said preparation being in the form of a lemonized extra virgin olive oil.

7. Use of the dietary preparation according to any of claims 1 to 6 for the preparation of a medicament having hypocholesterolemic, antiatheromatous and antioxidant activity.

8. Pharmaceutical formulation comprising a pharmaceutically effective dose of the dietary preparation according to any of claims 1 to 6 in association with pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. / br