06 May 2026
Bilbao
As part of the lecture series "Adding life to our years", the Pedro Fabro Association of Retired Staff at the University of Deusto held a lecture on 28 April entitled "The health benefits of olive oil", given by Antonio Escribano. A total of 37 people, including 3 online participants, took part in this event, which was divided into six sections.
In the first section, on the challenge of longevity, the speaker pointed out that life expectancy has increased significantly over the last 50 years (by around 35 years on average). However, he pointed out that living longer is not the same as living better. In his view, the current challenge is to find the ‘instruction manual’ to ensure that those extra years are spent in good health and with a good quality of life.
The second part, the body as a system, defines the human body as a structure of “miraculous” complexity that manages trillions of processes per second. Its three objectives are survival, maintaining health and achieving quality of life. According to Antonio Escribano, for this “system” to function, we must “pay the biochemical bill” through food, as the body is constantly renewing itself (33,000 million cells per day).
On the golden rule: "Eat little but eat well," the speaker addressed this in the third part of his lecture. IIn this regard, he emphasised that the only scientifically proven way to extend lifespan is caloric restriction (eating just enough, or even slightly less). When the body receives fewer calories, it enters a defensive state that reduces oxidative stress and slows down the ageing process. He added that, over the course of an 80-year life, we consume around 70,000 kg of food, so choosing the right quality of that food determines our health and well-being.
Next, he focused on a fourth section dedicated to “Olive oil: the ‘all-rounder’”. He explained that extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is regarded as a staple food because of its composition. On the one hand, there is the saponifiable fraction, which consists of oleic acid (cardiovascular protection), and on the other, the unsaponifiable fraction, which consists of polyphenols, vitamin E and carotenoids (the jewel in the crown).
In this regard, he emphasised that the oil must be extra virgin, as refining processes remove the polyphenols, which are responsible for the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
As his fifth point, he spoke of the “specific health benefits” and noted that olive oil works on multiple fronts due to its large number of components (more than 80 compounds): anti-inflammatory: it reduces “immune stress”, which is a breeding ground for many diseases; antioxidant: it slows down cellular and skin ageing; digestive system: it helps to empty the gallbladder (he recommends adding a dash even to coffee to prevent stones); sport: it helps to manage the oxidation and inflammation caused by intense physical exertion.
Antonio Escribano devoted the final part of his talk to the theme of ‘the “score” of life’, in which he compared diet to an orchestra: there cannot be only bass drums (bad fats); you need violins (fruit and vegetables). He therefore recommends eating 3 to 5 pieces of fruit a day; consuming 25–35 ml of olive oil a day; and not shying away from healthy fats, as the brain and nervous system need them to function properly.
