Role of Natural Fermented Olives in Health and Disease

Abstract

Fermented olives are an important vehicle for delivering probiotics, contributing to magnify their known health benefits, especially in view of their efficacy to prevent or ameliorate specific chronic diseases by influencing the bioavailability and activity of particular bioactive compounds. This chapter attempts to provide an overview of available information on olive fermentation phenomena, and to make a claim for health-promoting nutrients and probiotics from fermented olives, aiming at a better understanding of its potential toward improvement of health.