How can that be? Acccording to the alternative whacko conspiracists,
BigPharma (whatever that is) has no interest in examining natural
substances since they cannot patent them.

Be prepared to be called a PharmaBlogger by the fellow who calls himself
PeterB, but who in reality is *P*ontificating*B*ullshitter.

 Kind of

It seems to me I heard somewhere that mrmatt wrote in article
<1125596083.250317.176040@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>:

Much as it may be a prescription medication (and it is) it is a
nutritional, not an NSAID or pain reliever.

I believe it refers to beautiful young virgins stomping the olives ...
but I could be mistaken.  Enjoy your day.

According to the Mayo Clinic:

Extra-virgin olive oil: Does it have more health benefits?

Question: Does extra-virgin olive oil have more health benefits than
virgin or regular olive oil?

Answer:

It's not clear whether one grade of olive oil has more health benefits
than other grades. The health benefits of olive oil are primarily
related to its high levels of monounsaturated fats.

Although processed differently, extra-virgin, virgin and regular olive
oils are all excellent sources of monounsaturated fats. When used in
place of saturated fats, such as butter, monounsaturated fats appear to
improve cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart attack. They
may also play a role in lowering the risk of some cancers.

Here are the processing methods for different grades of olive oil:

   * Extra-virgin olive oil is cold pressed from ripe olives using no
chemicals or heat. It's the least processed of the different grades of
oil. As a result, it retains the highest levels of antioxidants and
polyphenolics found in olives. Antioxidants appear to protect the body
from age-related changes and certain diseases. Polyphenolics are
compounds thought to improve the immune system. But there's no evidence
that these compounds in extra-virgin olive oil provide added health
benefits.

   * Virgin olive oil also is cold pressed from ripe olives but
contains more acid in the final product. The filtration process may
reduce some of the antioxidants and polyphenolics in virgin olive oil.

   * Olive oil is a blend of refined oil. It's chemically extracted
from olives and has less of the antioxidants and polyphenolics found in
virgin olive oil.

As for taste, extra-virgin olive oil is generally more flavorful. It's
well suited to salads and marinades rather than cooking. Because it
tends to contain sediment and small particles of olives, extra-virgin
olive oil is more likely to burn or smoke during cooking.