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The Health Benefits of Olive Oil
Olive oil is recognised as one of the bases of the
Mediterranean diet, which is attributed to the lower
cancer rates and low incidence of heart disease of the
Mediterranean populations.
Olives and olive oil contain high monounsaturated fats,
which are highly desirable, as opposed to other food
high in saturated fats and polyunsaturated fats (i.e.
dairy food, coconut and palm oil).
Olive oil alone is not the answer to better health,
but used in a balanced diet with fruit, vegetables,
cereals and grain foods as found in the Mediterranean
diet, has been found by researchers to be very beneficial
to their health and well being.
Olive oil also contains Omega 3, another quality important
to our well-being.
Quote from NZ Herald (Jan 13 2005) 'Olive oil's secret
in cancer fight' [click here to
read full article] "The key ingredient is
oleic acid the main component of olive oil. Dr Javier
Menendez, of Northwestern University Feinberg School
of Medicine in Chicago, said oleic acid blocked the
action of a cancer-causing oncogene called HER-2/neu
found in about 30 % of breast cancer patients."
Reducing High Sugar Spikes for Diabetes
January 23, 2008 — Dietary and lifestyle strategies
for improving postprandial glucose, lipid profile, markers
of inflammation, and cardiovascular health are reviewed
in a state-of-the-art paper reported in the January
22 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
"The highly processed, calorie-dense, nutrient-depleted
diet favoured in the current American culture frequently
leads to exaggerated supraphysiological post-prandial
spikes in blood glucose and lipids," write James
H. O'Keefe, MD, from the Mid America Heart Institute
and University of Missouri–Kansas City, and colleagues.
"This state, called post-prandial dysmetabolism,
induces immediate oxidant stress, which increases in
direct proportion to the increases in glucose and triglycerides
after a meal. The transient increase in free radicals
acutely triggers atherogenic changes including inflammation,
endothelial dysfunction, hypercoagulability, and sympathetic
hyperactivity."
Even in individuals without diabetes, postprandial
dysmetabolism independently predicts future cardiovascular
events. Dietary improvements are associated with dramatic
and immediate benefits in postprandial dysmetabolism.
To attenuate the increase in glucose, triglycerides,
and inflammation after a meal, the review authors recommend
a diet rich in minimally processed, high-fiber, plant-based
foods, including vegetables and fruits, whole grains,
legumes, and nuts. Other dietary interventions that
can significantly ameliorate postprandial dysmetabolism
include intake of lean protein, vinegar, fish oil, tea,
and cinnamon. Additional benefits may result from calorie
restriction, weight loss, exercise, and low-dose to
moderate-dose alcohol.
Specific recommendations to improve postprandial glucose
and triglycerides are as follows:
- Select high-fiber carbohydrates with low glycemic
index, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains,
legumes, and nuts.
- At all 3 meals, consume lean protein.
- Eat approximately 1 handful of nuts daily (using
a closed fist), consumed with vegetables, grains,
berries, or other fruits.
- Eat salad daily, consisting of leafy greens with
dressing of vinegar and virgin olive oil.
- Avoid highly processed foods and beverages, particularly
those containing sugar, high-fructose corn syrup,
white flour, or trans fats.
- Limit portion sizes to modest quantities.
- Maintain normal weight and avoid overweight or obesity.
Waist circumference should be less than one half of
height in inches.
- Perform physical activity for at least 30 minutes
or more daily, of at least moderate intensity.
For those with no history of substance abuse, consuming
1 alcoholic beverage before or with an evening meal
may be considered.
- "Experimental and epidemiological studies indicate
that eating patterns, such as the traditional Mediterranean
or Okinawan diets, that incorporate these types of
foods and beverages reduce inflammation and cardiovascular
risk," the review authors write. "This anti-inflammatory
diet should be considered for the primary and secondary
prevention of coronary artery disease and diabetes."
Source: The Journal of the American College of Cardiology
J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008;51:249-255.
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Just 25ml Daily Olive Oil Lowers
Blood Pressure
Source: Journal of Nutrition, Jan
2007, as quoted in Healthy
Food Guide Magazine
We've probably all heard the traditional Mediterranean
diet is good for heart health, but here in NZ we tend
to prefer a more varied intake, including foods from
many cultures.
The good news is a new study suggests that even small
amounts of olive oil added to a non-Mediterranean diet
may help lower blood pressure.
The researchers from Barcelona studied 160 healthy men
from north, central and southern Europe. After adding
25ml of olive oil a day to their diets for a 3-week
period systolic blood pressure in the men from north
and central Europe significantly decreased.
There was no change in the men from southern Europe
as their diet was already high in olive oil. Although
the men were able to continue with their habitual diets,
with the addition of the olive oil they consumed less
saturated fats and less polyunsaturated fats - olive
oil is high in monounsaturated fats - which meant their
cholesterol also improved.
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Virgin Olive Oil Great For Heart
Sourced from www.oliveti.co.nz,
By Amy Norton, Posting Date: September 8 2006
When it comes to heart health, virgin olive oil may
have an edge over other vegetable fats, new research
suggests.
Reporting in the Annals of Internal Medicine, European
researchers say virgin olive oil may be particularly
effective at lowering heart disease risk because of
its high level of antioxidant plant compounds.
In a study of 200 healthy men, the researchers found
that virgin olive oil -- rich in antioxidants called
polyphenols -- showed stronger heart-health effects
than the more extensively processed "non-virgin"
variety.
The findings suggest that virgin olive oil has more
going for it than its supply of heart-healthy monounsaturated
fat, according to the study authors. Polyphenols, they
say, may account for some of the health benefits that
have been attributed to the oil.
In fact, virgin olive oil is the only vegetable oil
that's rich in polyphenols, Dr. Maria-Isabel Covas,
the study's lead researcher, told Reuters Health.
"All vegetable oils other than virgin olive oil
are submitted to a (refining) process in which polyphenols
are practically lost," explained Covas, a researcher
at the Municipal Institute for Medical Research in Barcelona,
Spain.
Even "ordinary" olive oil has a lower polyphenol
content, she noted, because it's a mixture of virgin
olive oil and a more-processed form of the oil.
For their study, Covas and her colleagues had 200 young
and middle-aged men use each of three olive oils for
three weeks apiece. One oil was a virgin olive oil high
in polyphenols; the other two were more heavily processed
varieties with moderate to low polyphenol levels.
The men used the oils in place of other dietary fats.
At the end of the study, the researchers found that
the men's levels of "good" HDL cholesterol
were highest after their three weeks on virgin olive
oil. They also showed a greater decline in markers of
so-called oxidative stress -- a process that helps deposit
particles of "bad" LDL cholesterol on the
artery walls and can lead to a hardening and narrowing
of the vessels supplying the heart.
Monounsaturated fat is well known to be a healthier
alternative to the saturated fat found in animal products
like butter, Covas noted. That fact, along with the
benefits of polyphenols, she said, make olive oil "a
good source of fat."
But she stopped short of recommending virgin olive
oil as a replacement for other vegetable oils, saying
large clinical trials are needed to see whether there's
a health advantage.
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Virgin Olive Oil Phenols Inhibit
Colon Carcinogenesis In Vitro
Sourced from www.oliveti.co.nz,
Reuters Health, Posting Date: October 26 2005
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A mixture of phenols extracted
from virgin olive oil inhibits multiple stages of colon
carcinogenesis including initiation, promotion and metastasis,
according to in vitro studies described in the October
20th issue of the International Journal of Cancer.
"Olive oil is suggested to be responsible in part
for the beneficial nature of the 'Mediterranean diet'
and our data support this view and provides some possible
mechanisms for its action," Dr. Chris I. R. Gill
from the University of Ulster (Coleraine) in Londonderry,
North Ireland and colleagues write.
Because the colon is one of the major cancer sites
thought to be protected by olive oil, they studied the
potential anti-cancer effects of virgin olive oil phenols
in cultured cell lines widely used as models for colorectal
cancer.
Incubation of HT29 cells with increasing concentrations
of olive oil phenols for 24 hours protected the cells
from DNA damage -- inducing hydrogen peroxide challenge.
The observed anti-genotoxic effects have been previously
observed using polyphenols from other sources including
tea and red wine, the authors note.
The olive oil phenols also significantly increased
barrier function of CACO2 cells after 48 hours of exposure
compared to untreated cells, suggesting that they may
"exert an anti-promoter effect in the carcinogenesis
pathway."
Dr. Gill's group also observed a significant reduction
in the invasiveness of HT115 colon cancer cells with
the addition of olive oil phenols.
In conclusion, "we have demonstrated that phenols
extracted from virgin olive oil are capable of inhibiting
several stages in colon carcinogenesis in vitro,"
the authors write.
"The next stage would be to assess the effects
in a suitable animal model."
Int J Cancer 2005;117:1-7.
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Health Benefits of Olive Oil
Sourced from www.oliveti.co.nz,
New Research Released
A compound found in olive oil has an anti-inflammatory
action similar to the popular painkiller ibuprofen,
reported US researchers yesterday.
The compound, called oleocanthal, inhibits COX enzymes
in the same dose-dependent manner as ibuprofen, a member
of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory class of drugs,
write Paul A. S. Breslin from the Monell Chemical Senses
Center in Philadelphia and colleagues in the 31 August
issue of Nature. The findings could help explain olive
oil's widely reported health benefits. Numerous studies
have pointed to a link between high consumption of the
product, a common ingredient in traditional Mediterranean
food, and the low rates of heart disease in many south
European countries. Other studies suggest it may prevent
cancer.
But few studies have identified a clear mechanism for
these effects.
Breslin and his colleagues say that oleocanthal in
newly pressed extra-virgin olive oil and ibuprofen both
produce a strong stinging sensation in the throat, an
indicator of a "shared pharmacological activity,
with oleocanthal acting as a natural anti-inflammatory
compound that has a potency and profile strikingly similar
to that of ibuprofen."
The researchers carried out a study on different premium
olive oils and found a strong positive link between
levels of oleocanthal and its intensity as a throat
irritant. Similar results were achieved in tests of
a synthetic version of oleocanthal they created, confirming
that this compound is in fact the active ingredient
in olive oil.
They demonstrated that oleocanthal, like ibuprofen,
inhibits so-called COX enzymes so that a 50-gram daily
dose of olive oil is equal to about 10 per cent of the
ibuprofen dose recommended for pain relief in an adult.
This means it is unlikely to cure a headache but regular
consumption of olive oil might have some of the long-term
health benefits of ibuprofen, the researchers say. These
include benefits for heart health.
It is well known that aspirin, another COX-inhibitor,
protects the heart. Ibuprofen reduces the risk of developing
some cancers and also prevents blood platelets from
clumping together, which can block arteries.
Ibuprofen has also been shown to reduce levels of an
Alzheimer's disease-related protein in mice.
"Our findings raise the possibility that long-term
consumption of oleocanthal may help to protect against
some diseases by virtue of its ibuprofen-like COX-inhibiting
activity," Breslin and colleagues write.
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Olive Oil's Secret
in Cancer Fight
Sourced from NZ Herald, - Reuters,
Date: January 13 2005
HEALTH: Oleic acid identified as magic
ingredient that helps protect women
LONDON - Scientists have discovered why
eating a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables
and particularly olive oil can help to protect women
from developing breast cancer.
The key is Oleic acid, the main component
of Olive oil.
Dr Javier Menendez, of Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, said oleic acid
blocked the action of cancer causing oncogene called
HER-2/neu found in about 30% of breast cancer patients.
"We have something now to explain
why the Mediterranean diet is so healthy," he said.
Doctors and researchers had been aware
that eating a Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of
breast cancer and other illnesses such as heart disease.
But until now they did not know how.
Dr Menendez and his colleagues in the
United States and Spain studied the impact of Oleic
acid in laboratory tests of breast cancer cells.
"We are able to demonstrate that
the main component of olive oil, oleic acid, is able
to down-regulate the most important oncogene in breast
cancer," he said.
"The most important source of oleic
acid is olive oil."
They found that oleic acid not only suppressed
the action of the oncogene, it also improved the effectiveness
of ate breast cancer drug Herceptin, a therapy made
by Swiss firm Roche that works against the HER-2/neu
gene.
Breast cancer patients with the HER-2/neu
positive tumours suffer from an aggressive form of ate
disease and have a poor prognosis.
"There is no evidence to suggest
at all that olive oil is toxic," said Dr Menendez,
who reported his findings in the journal Annals of
Oncology. "It is totally safe to consume olive
oil."
The researchers are hoping to uncover
the mechanism by which oleic acid targets the oncogene
and are planning studies of animals with breast cancer
to see if a diet high in olive oil can alter the activity
of the oncogene and the impact of Herceptin.
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