Review of ‘The Olive Oil Diet’
by Dr Simon Poole and Judy Ridgway
Published September 2016 by Robinson, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group.
On my first reading of this book on ‘the original superfood’, I confess to feeling a sense of frustration. I was reminded, in parts, of a sixth-former’s essay written at midnight (I remember them well!) with sweeping, unsubstantiated statements such as ‘Numerous studies attest to the health benefits of this kind of diet, cutting the risks of many chronic diseases by quite substantial percentages’ (p54). However, on subsequent readings, I have found more to appreciate and applaud, and indeed it is important at the outset to note that this is one of the first books to attempt to gather together scientific evidence as to the benefits of olive oil and to present it in terms that the lay person can easily access. It deserves to be commended on that basis alone. And it does not attempt to preach or convert by any means other than information and evident enthusiasm. Both Dr Poole and Ms Ridgway are passionate and long-serving devotees to olive oil and they both have a genuine desire […]
