Supplementation of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Monocultivar Coratina in Patients With Active Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology, which usually occurs in young adults (II-IV decade of life).

Epidemiological data have shown a north-south gradient of both incidence and prevalence of UC in European countries, with a higher prevalence in northern European countries than in the Mediterranean area. However, recent data show a reduction in these differences in the last two decades. The reasons of this reduction are unknown, but it is possible that these differences are related to a change in dietary habits in southern European countries where a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables (the so-called "Mediterranean diet") is gradually being replaced by a typical diet of the industrialized countries of northern Europe, characterized by high consumption of frozen or pre-packaged foods of the food industry.

These changes in the diet regime have also replaced the type of oil contained in foods, ranging from olive oil (typical of the Mediterranean diet) to fats of animal origin or vegetable oils not coming from the olives.

Olive oil is universally recognized as the symbol of the Mediterranean diet and its beneficial properties have been extensively studied.

In particular, there are scientific evidence showing an effect of virgin olive oil on the lipid metabolism, on chronic inflammation, on blood pressure, and the regulation and detoxification of free radicals.