Antioxidant properties of olive oil -
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We thank Stella van Boom, Marjolein Hagemans, Rianne Leenen, Annet Roodenburg, Philip Rijken, Karel van Putte, and Lilian Tijburg for their information and valuable comments.
Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. Contributors : MV searched the Medline database, and all authors contributed to the writing of the review.
Supported by the International Olive Oil Council and the Foundation for Nutrition and Health Research. Reprints and permissions. Vissers, M. Bioavailability and antioxidant effects of olive oil phenols in humans: a review. Eur J Clin Nutr 58 , — Download citation.
Received : 20 March Revised : 02 July Accepted : 07 July Published : 27 May Issue Date : 01 June It has been observed that by avoiding excessive blood coagulation, olive-oil-rich diets can attenuate the effect of fatty foods in encouraging blood clot formation, thus contributing to the low incidence of heart failure in countries where olive oil is the principal fat consumed.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance contained in foods of animal origin. Diets containing a large amount of animal fats raise blood cholesterol level, which is one of the chief risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Fats triglycerides and cholesterol are transported in the blood by lipoproteins.
The cholesterol bound to low-density lipoproteins [very low-density lipoproteins VLDL and low-density lipoproteins LDL ] is atherogenic, damaging the vessel walls. In subsequent stages, this may lead to acute heart attack.
The high-density lipoproteins remove free cholesterol from the cells, then esterifying it and transporting it to the liver where it is eliminated with bile. Olive oil lowers the levels of total blood cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides. At the same time it does not alter the levels of HDL-cholesterol and may even raise them , which plays a protective role and prevents the formation of fatty patches, thus stimulating the elimination of the low-density lipoproteins.
The beneficial effect of olive oil consumption with regard to cardiovascular disease has been demonstrated in primary prevention, where it reduces the risk of developing the disease, and in secondary prevention, where it prevents recurrence after a first coronary event.
At present, research is revealing the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of secondary coronary events and the positive influence of olive oil on the depression associated with such events and on mood. These findings are very important in view of the high incidence of depression in the modern-day world and the great risk it poses in recurrent heart disease.
Oxidation is a process that occurs not only when oil is being produced, but also inside our own bodies.
Reactions occur continually inside the body, giving rise to the formation of free radicals peroxidants. As a rule, free radicals do not cause severe damage thanks to the protection provided by antioxidants, which help to keep a balance up to a point.
Oxidation is a complex, fundamental phenomenon in the process of cell ageing. Lipid or fat peroxidation tends to be proportional to the number of double bonds in a compound, explaining why oleic acid shows little susceptibility to oxidation. Cell membranes contain a large amount of fat and cholesterol and their composition depends on diet.
When the diet contains a lot of olive oil, the cells are more resistant to oxidation, they do not deteriorate as much and ageing is slower. Approximately 1. Virgin olive oil contains the largest quantities of these substances and other minor components.
Vitamin E alpha-tocopherol , carotenoids and phenolic compounds simple phenols such as hydroxytyrosol and complex phenols such as oleuropein are all antioxidants whose activity has been demonstrated in vitro and recently in vivo, revealing further advantages in the prevention of certain diseases and also of ageing.
The phenolic content of olive oils varies according to the climatic conditions in the producing area, when the olives are harvested and how ripe they are when picked. Oil production and storage methods also have an influence.
Phenols have countless biological properties, for instance hydroxytyrosol inhibits platelet aggregation and it is anti-inflammatory and oleuropein encourages the formation of nitric acid, which is a powerful vasodilator and exerts a strong anti-bacterial effect.
Oxidised LDLs are known to be atherogenic, which is where olive oil steps in because it has a beneficial, protective effect against LDL oxidation. Moreover, it also strengthens other cells in the body against the toxic effects of oxidants.
The high antioxidant content of the Mediterranean diet appears to contribute significantly to its effect on longevity. These antioxidants are found in fresh fruit and vegetables. Because it is the only oil to be obtained from a fruit, olive oil retains a host of substances, antioxidants and vitamins that give it added nutritional value.
The explanation behind this high content of antioxidants is probably that because the olive is a fruit that is exposed to the air, it has to defend itself from oxygen. It therefore synthesises a larger amount of antioxidants, which pass through to the oil.
Virgin olive oil, i. olive oil that has not been refined or industrially treated, is particularly rich in these substances and it has a strong antioxidant effect, protecting against damage from free radicals scavenger activity and against the formation of cancer.
Cancer is one of the chief causes of death in the developed countries, and its incidence is on the increase.
It is now conceded that there is a relationship between diet and the development of a large number of malignant tumours.
Cell oxidation is one of the major risks in the formation of cancer: the more susceptible the cell is to oxygen, the greater the risk of cancer. The types of cancer most closely associated with diet are colon-rectal, prostate and breast cancer. Recent research has revealed that the type of fat seems to have more implications for cancer incidence than the quantity of fat.
A tumour is an abnormal swelling or enlargement of a part of body tissue. Tumours may be benign or malignant. Benign tumours are tumours whose cells remain at their original site. They form a localised cell mass which, when it grows, encapsulates and very rarely causes death.
Malignant or cancerous tumours, on the other hand, invade the tissue where they grow. Often they pass into the bloodstream and the lymphatic system, forming secondary tumours at other sites known as metastases.
The speed of growth and metastasis varies according to the type of tumour. Various environmental factors physical factors: radiation; chemical factors: certain constituents of foods and genetic factors are at play in the formation of tumours. In most types of cancer, environmental factors are most important.
Epidemiological studies suggest that olive oil exerts a protective effect against certain malignant tumours breast, prostate, endometrium, digestive tract, ….
A number of research studies have documented that olive oil reduces the risk of breast cancer. Eating a healthy diet with olive oil as the main source of fat could considerably lower cancer incidence.
The reason is that the cell mutations caused by cancer are partly due to toxins which, when consumed through the diet, attack DNA. On passing through the liver, these toxins produce free radicals that then attack DNA. To combat such free radicals, the body needs vitamins and antioxidants like those contained in olive oil.
It has also been reported that an olive-oil-rich diet is associated with reduced risk of bowel cancer. The protective effect of olive oil is irrespective of the amount of fruit and vegetables eaten in the diet.
Recent studies have demonstrated that olive oil provides protection against cancer of the colon. Results point to beneficial effects of olive oil on pre-cancerous lesions. After analysing three types of diet, research scientists arrived at various conclusions. The olive oil diet reduced the number of cancerous lesions; the number of tumours that developed was clearly and significantly low; and the tumours were less aggressive and had a better prognosis.
This beneficial effect could be related to oleic acid, the predominant monounsaturated fatty acid in olive oil. It has been observed that this fatty acid lowers the production of prostaglandins derived from arachidonic acid, which in turn plays a significant part in the production and development of tumours.
However, it is not excluded that other constituents of olive oil, such as antioxidants, flavonoids, polyphenols and squalene may also have a positive influence. Squalene is believed to have a favourable effect on the skin by reducing the incidence of melanomas.
Olive oil also adds to the taste of vegetables and pulses whose benefits in cancer prevention have been amply proved. Some very promising, current research is centred on the protection provided by olive oil against child leukaemia and various cancers, such as oesophageal squamous cell cancer.
Much has still to be discovered about how olive oil affects cancer and concrete data are still lacking on the mechanisms behind the beneficial role it plays in the prevention or inhibitionof the growth of different types of cancer. However, according to the information available at present, olive oil could actsimultaneously during the different stages involved in the process of cancer formation.
Various research studies have reported a close relationship between diet and blood pressure. Certain foods can raise blood pressure besides having an effect on body weight. High blood pressure is one of the chief coronary risk factors in the development of arteriosclerosis.
Along with high blood cholesterol, cigarette smoking, obesity and diabetes, it is one of the main health problems of the developed world. Like other risk factors, lifestyle can contribute to high blood pressure.
One in every four adults is hypertensive. It has not yet been clearly established what elements of the Mediterranean diet are responsible for its effects in reducing blood pressure. It has been demonstrated, however, that the addition of olive oil to a diet that is not changed in any other way has a clear lowering effect on blood pressure, which seems to be specific to this oil.
Regular consumption of olive oil decreases both systolic maximum and diastolic minimum blood pressure. There is recent evidence that when olive oil is consumed the daily dose of drugs needed to control blood pressure in hypertensive patients can be decreased, possibly because of a reduction in nitric acid caused by polyphenols.
Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading health problems in the developed countries, and the sixth cause of death. It is one of the major metabolic diseases and it is potentially very serious because it can cause many complications that seriously damage health, such as cardiovascular diseases, kidney failure, blindness, peripheral circulation disorders, etc.
There are two types of diabetes mellitus: type-I or insulin-dependent diabetes, found in children and teenagers, and type-II or non-insulin-dependent diabetes, which appears in adulthood, generally from the age of 40 onwards.
Insulin is required to control the first type while the second, more frequent type is generally associated with obesity and does not call for insulin treatment.
An olive-oil-rich diet is not only a good alternative in the treatment of diabetes; it may also help to prevent or delay the onset of the disease.
How it does so is by preventing insulin resistance and its possible pernicious implications by raising HDL-cholesterol, lowering triglycerides, and ensuring better blood sugar level control and lower blood pressure.
It has been demonstrated that a diet that is rich in olive oil, low in saturated fats, moderately rich in carbohydrates and soluble fibre from fruit, vegetables, pulses and grains is the most effective approach for diabetics.
Obesity or overweight is when energy reserves, primarily in the form of fat, are excessive. It occurs when the amount of energy obtained through the diet is greater than the amount of energy expended. It is corrected by ensuring that energy expenditure physical exercise, basal metabolic rate, etc.
is greater than energy intake. Olive oil is a nutrient of great biological value. Like all other fats and oils it is high in calories 9 Kcal per gram , which could make one think that it would contribute to obesity.
However, experience shows that there is less obesity amongst the Mediterranean peoples, who consume the most olive oil. It has been demonstrated that an olive-oil-rich diet leads to greater and longer-lasting weight loss than a low-fat diet.
It is accepted better because it tastes good and it is a stimulus to eat vegetables. The immune system defends the body against invasion by foreign substances toxins, microorganisms, parasites, tumour processes, etc. by coordinating specific and non-specific mechanisms. The non-specific or innate defences are the front-line protection against microorganisms.
They are made up of the skin, mucous membranes, the complement system the complement, a group of some 20 proteins manufactured in the liver, helps to destroy micro-organisms hormonal factors, etc. and their action is not affected by prior contact with the foreign substance.
Specific mechanisms occur following exposure to the substance and they require the involvement of the B-lymphocytes humoral system and the T-lymphocytes cell system. Innate immunity responds in a similar way to the majority of microbes whereas the specific immune response varies according to the type of microorganism in order to eliminate it as effectively as possible.
It has been documented that olive oil intake bolsters the immune system against external attacks from microorganisms, bacteria or viruses. It has been known for some time that mineral and vitamin deficiencies can have an adverse effect on the immune system.
Recent research has concluded that the fatty acids in the make-up of olive oil are good allies in lowering important immunological parameters such as the proliferation of lymphocytes induced by specific mitogens of both B- and T-cells.
These fatty acids have been reported to play an important part in various immune functions. They are involved in regulating inflammatory processes and they may be effective in the treatment of some autoimmune diseases and in the regulation of the immune system in general.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory immune disease of unknown causes that affects the joints. Genes, infective factors, hormones and diet have been suggested as possible associates in its onset.
Although some studies had suggested that olive oil could help to alleviate its symptoms they did not provide confirmation of such a protective effect.
Now, the results of a recently published study suggest that regular consumption of olive oil may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. According to the authors of the study, the people on diets containing high levels of olive oil had less risk of suffering this disease.
The study found that the people who consumed less olive oil had 2. Although the mechanism involved is not yet clear, antioxidants are suspected to exert a beneficial effect. As soon as we eat olive oil it has a number of effects all the way along the digestive system. As far back as in ancient times it was recommended for assorted digestive disorders, and its beneficial properties are now being corroborated by epidemiological studies and a wealth of scientific data.
When olive oil reaches the stomach it does not reduce the tonus of the muscular ring or sphincter at the base of the oesophagus. Because of this, it reduces the risk of the flow or reflux of food and gastric juice up from the stomach to the oesophagus.
Olive oil also partially inhibits gastric motility. One of the effects of olive oil on the hepato-biliary system is that it is a cholagogue, ensuring optimal bile drainage and full emptying of the gall bladder.
Another effect is that it is cholecystokinetic, i. it stimulates the contraction of the gall bladder, which is extremely helpful in the treatment and prevention of disorders of the bile ducts.
It stimulates the synthesis of bile salts in the liver and it increases the amount of cholesterol excreted by the liver. In short, owing to its beneficial effect on the muscle tone and activity of the gall bladder, olive oil stimulates the digestion of lipids, because they are emulsified by the bile, and it prevents the onset of gallstones.
Olive oil is recommended in diseases where pancreatic function has to be maintained, such as pancreas failure, chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, malabsorption syndromes, etc. Owing to the sitosterol it contains, olive oil partially prevents cholesterol absorption by the small intestine.
It also stimulates the absorption of various nutrients calcium, iron, magnesium, etc.
Log Propeeties. In the process propertiees cellular aging, oxidation Heart health professionals a complex phenomenon. With Body composition enhancers rich olive oil diet, cell membranes are less damaged and life expectancy can be higher. The high antioxidant content of extra virgin olive oil has been demonstrated by numerous scientific studies. Montpellier, Antioxidaant oil may od Heart health professionals benefits as it is high in healthy monosaturated Curcumin for Digestive Health and antioxidants. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. Studies Antiosidant that oleic acid reduces inflammation and may even have beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer 2345. Monounsaturated fats are also quite resistant to high heat, making extra virgin olive oil a healthy choice for cooking. Summary Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated oleic acid.
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