17 Virgin Olive Oil Benefits participation of their Collaborators. The chapters are organised into four Units. The first unit (A), “The key role of diet in health: olive oils”, consists of six chapters and serves as an introduction. The second unit (B), “Olive oils in different stages of life and in physical activity”, contains three chapters and focuses on the preventive effects of olive oils in healthy individuals. The third unit (C), “Benefits of virgin and extra virgin olive oils against diseases”, comprises eight chapters: seven devoted to conditions for which there is a significant body of evidence, and one to other pathologies where extra virgin olive oil has also shown health benefits, though the available data are more limited. Finally, unit (D), “Olive oil in the context of the Mediterranean diet and a healthy lifestyle”, contains a single chapter that integrates these concepts. Each chapter concludes with up to five bibliographic references, intended as “For further knowledge”, for those readers who wish to deepen their understanding of the subject.” Subsequently, a glossary has been prepared by the Editor, based on the basic indications provided by all the main authors regarding the technical terms appearing in their respective chapters. In the chapters, as well as in the glossary itself, technical terms are shown in italics. Likewise, the technical terms included in the book’s index also appear in italics. In addition, the quotations from this Preface are also in italics, though without any relation to the glossary. Conversely, when the authors themselves used italics in their manuscripts, these parts appear in the chapters in highlighted text but not in italics (see the introduction to the glossary). Given the informative nature of this work, the glossary has proven not only necessary but even indispensable to facilitate understanding of the 533 technical terms that, inevitably, appear throughout the different chapters. Its purpose is also to prevent non-specialist readers from consulting unreliable sources, while providing confidence that the terms defined in the glossary are scientifically verified. Furthermore, the glossary may add value by offering intuitive explanations of technical terms encountered by individuals suffering from some of the diseases discussed in this book. Finally, a section provides information on the four health claims recognised and authorised by the “European Commission”, following evaluation by the “European Food Safety Authority” (EFSA), for the labelling and advertising of olive oil. These claims constitute unequivocal evidence of the important role this food plays in the field of health. In relation to the chapters and the glossary, all the authors have made a considerable effort to meet the challenge of reconciling the two main objectives of this book: to be scientific and, at the same time, accessible. The Editor wishes to emphasise the broadly collective nature of this book.
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