Introduction
The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet are well known. They include lower rates of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and other illnesses including Alzheimer’s, joint conditions and cancer. One of the main constituents in this diet, the main fat, is Olive Oil.
Olive oil is more or less the juice from the olive, the fruit of the olive tree. Like many trees, the olive tree has evolved ways to survive for incredibly long periods of time: often hundreds of years. Extra Virgin olive oil is the least processed of the types of olive oil and is far more beneficial than processed olive oils which have diminishing health benefits.
Compounds in olive oil include polyphenols (often found in plants and beneficial for health), and biophenols. One of the main ones is oleocanthal however there are dozens more beneficial health compounds in Extra Virgin olive oil. They generally taste bitter and studies have suggested that the more bitter it tastes to a person, the more pronounced the health effects.
Anti-Inflammatory
Oleocanthal (which causes the slight burn in the throat when consuming olive oil) acts as a COX inhibitor, which is what anti-inflammatory medications do such as aspirin. It also lowers inflammatory compounds in the body such as IL6 and TNF-a. It is similar in effect to Ibuprofen (Nurofen), which is a common anti-inflammatory.
Anti-Oxidation
Oxidation is a chemical processes that many cells in the body used that released ‘free radicals’ which can harm cells. There are many antioxidants that the body will itself produce or we can eat which can moderate the damage from oxidation. Well known ones include vitamin C and olive oil similarly has these compounds.
Cholesterol lowering
Olive oil contains Hydroxytyrosol, a kind of anti inflammatory that has been accepted as having a beneficial effect on cholesterol. It prevents the oxidation of LDL, the bad cholesterol, and thus this leads to less heart disease.
Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia, a brain disease that causes memory loss. Olive oil was studied to show a decrease in amyloid deposition in some studies and population data suggest that the mediterranean diet has lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease.
The mediterranean diet is associated with better health, longer life span and less incidence of Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease. About 25-30mL of olive oil per day is consumed in this diet alongside a high fruit and salad content.
You can read about relevant health topics by clicking the articles below:
- Anti-aging and telomeres
- Mitochondrial aging
- Oxidative damage
References:
Parkinson L, Keast R. Oleocanthal, a phenolic derived from virgin olive oil: a review of the beneficial effects on inflammatory disease. Int J Mol Sci. 2014;15(7):12323- 12334. Published 2014 Jul 11. doi:10.3390/ijms150712323
Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to polyphenols in olive and protection of LDL particles from oxidative damage (ID 1333, 1638, 1639, 1696, 2865), maintenance of normal blood HDL-cholesterol concentrations (ID 1639), maintenance of normal blood pressure (ID 3781), “anti-inflammatory properties” (ID 1882), “contributes to the upper respiratory tract health” (ID 3468), “can help to maintain a normal function of gastrointestinal tract” (3779), and “contributes to body defences against external agents” (ID 3467) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006
EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2033
