Monday, October 17, 2016

Presentation at Bowdoin College: The Chemical Story of Olive Oil and its Health Benefits


Professor Pat O’Hara 

September 30, 2016


Olive Oil is a substance that has been processed and consumed by humans in the Mediterranean region for millennia.  Today, olive oil is a found around the world including Brunswick Maine, where the nearest olive tree is more than 1000 miles away.  Still, the Mediterranean region, particularly Spain, remains the major supplier of oil to the rest of the world.  What is it about the molecular composition of olive oil that makes it distinct from other types of fat/oil such as corn oil, butter, or canola oil?  How are we to read the labels, and what are the chemical differences in oils labeled as “extra virgin” or “pure” or “light?”  Is this important to the quality of the oil?  Why has the American Heart Association characterized extra virgin olive oil as a “heart healthy oil” and recommends consumption of about 4 tablespoons (60 ml) per day?”  Why do some people say that the oil should not be used for frying?  What are scientists doing to help consumers by identifying fraudulently produced oils or oils that might no longer be extra virgin.  We will explore these and many other interesting questions and find out that, as in many things, the answers lie in an understanding of the chemistry of the oil.

Patricia B. O’Hara is the Lisa and Amanda Cross Professor of Chemistry and has been at Amherst College since 1983. Her current research is in biophysics, where she and her students use fluorescence spectroscopy to detect macromolecular dynamics and function. Most recently, she has expanded her interest in food science, developing a course in Molecular Gastronomy and writing and teaching about Olive Oil Chemistry.  She served Dean of New Students at Amherst College from 2010-2014. She and her husband Rich spent the 2014-2015 academic year exploring the production of olive oil around the Mediterranean and in the Southern Hemisphere.  Their upcoming book, “The Chemical Story of Olive Oil From Grove to Table” will be available in 2017 from the Royal Society of Chemistry Press.