Oleic acid

Oleic acid

The composition of olive oil is chiefly mixed triacylglycerols as well as free fatty acids, mono- and diacylglycerols, which together constitute 98-99% of the oil weight. For each commercial category of olive oil, the International Olive Council (IOC) sets compositional limits for the level of fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids comprise the bulk of the fatty acids, with oleic acid being the most predominant type (55-83%), whilst polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acid represent 4-10% and 8-14% respectively. The consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids has been shown to decrease low-density lipoprotein levels.