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Olive Oil: More Potential Health Benefits Revealed
Olives at the "Heart" of a Heart-Healthy Diet
A wealth of studies on the Mediterranean-style
diet suggests that it has great potential to fight against many
chronic diseases of aging. People in the Mediterranean region
who eat this traditional diet have a low incidence of cardiovascular
disease and high life-expectancy rates. Olive oil is a key component
of this diet, and researchers are delving into the chemical make-up
of this oil to unravel just how it may contribute to a long and
healthy life.
The fatty acids found in olive oil - called
mono-unsaturated fats - are thought to be responsible for much
of its heart benefits. Olive oil is abundant in beneficial oleic
acid, and low in less healthy saturated fats. But researchers
are finding that it's not just the fatty acid composition of this
oil that's healthful. Other components may be just as important.
And not just for the heart, but for colon and bone protection
too.
Olive Polyphenols: Heart Health & Beyond
Along with its less artery-clogging fatty
acids, olive oil contains antioxidants such as vitamin E and poly-phenols
- plant compounds with potent antioxidant properties. These compounds
are produced in the fruit and leaves of the olive tree, where
they afford protection against environmental stresses. Some of
the polyphenols unique to olive oil such as oleuropein are being
intensely investigated. Early findings suggest that oleuropein
and other phenols may work synergistically with the fats in olive
oil to protect arteries, bones and colon cells.
Researchers have found that olive oil polyphenols
promote the antioxidant capacity of blood and help the inner lining
of small blood vessels in volunteers be more responsive to sudden
changes in blood flow (1,2). Poor vessel responsiveness is considered
an early warning sign of cardiovascular disease. High doses of
olive leaf extract with oleuropein are reported to protect against
ischemia in animals and lower blood pressure in humans (3,4) -
effects that might help explain olive oil's apparent heart benefits.
Colon Cell Protection
Though limited, some population-health studies
have pointed to olive oil as protective against colon cancer.
As with heart disease, the possible anti-cancer effects of olive
oil have been attributed to its high levels of monounsaturated
fats. However, newer research is focusing on the role that the
polyphenols may play.
For instance, researchers in Ireland report
that olive oil polyphenols added to cultured colon cancer cells
protected the cells from DNA damage(6). This lab study, which
must be confirmed in animals and humans, also found that the polyphenols
quieted the invasive activity of the cancer cells.
Anti-inflammatory Effects May Benefit Bones
Inspired by studies suggesting that people
eating a traditional Mediterranean diet are less likely to have
osteoporosis, French investigators have begun to explore the effects
of olive oil polyphenols on bone. In one study, high levels of
isolated oleuropein stopped bone loss in an animal model that
mimics menopausal osteoporosis(7). Inflammation plays a role in
bone loss, and oleuropein has anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant
action. This is exciting and promising work.
Go For the "Extra Virgin"
We know now that olive oil is more than just
oleic acid. But to reap its potential benefits, choose extra virgin
olive oil. Refined olive oils loose much of their poly-phenol
content during processing, while cold pressed virgin oils retain
these health-promoting compounds.
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