Olive Oil for cancer and aging

Three recent studies in Spain document the positive effect of virgin olive oil on overall human wellbeing especially relating to cancer and aging:

1 - ‘Olive oil consumption blocks the generation of cancerous tissue’ –

The consumption of olive oil blocks the generation of oncogenic (cancerous) tissue, as explained at the first ‘Worldwide Nutrition Congress’ held in Barcelona by Angel Gil, an expert in the Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Granada.

In this recent study, over 40% of rats fed sunflower oil died of tumors, as opposed to olive oil fed rats that scarcely produced any deaths at all. Whereas sunflower oil and animal fat promoted the creation of the three main food related cancers, olive oil reduced the creation of these cancerous tumors.

While noting that this does not mean that the consumer of sunflower oil has a greater risk of developing cancer than those who consume olive oil, according to Gil, there is an influence. This is confirmed by the greater longevity of people living in the Mediterranean rim countries.

2 - Expert corroborates that the consumption of olive oil increases longevity –

According to an investigation reported by Jose Mataix, professor at the University of Granada, the consumption of olive oil increases longevity and helps maintain the body in good working order.

According Professor Mataix: "the animals in this study that consumed (olive oil) lived longer and, through the microscope, we perceive that their structures were better conserved than those that consumed seed oils. Also, the latter (the animals that consumed seed oils) developed more tumors". While noting that the results are not extrapolatable to humans ‘a priori’, professor Mataix added that "being as the aging mechanisms are similar, it can be deduced that virgin olive oil maintains this correlation both in (the animals) as well as in people"

3 - Olive oil, Good for almost everything, also to prevent cancer –

A new study confirms that (olive oil) contributes to stopping cancer. A scientific team at the Municipal Institute of Investigative Medicine, Barcelona, studied the degrees of oxidization of genetic material in 182 men, 20 – 60 years of age from the north, center and south of Europe.

The study, was published in the January 2007 edition of the FASEB Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Virgin olive oil has a higher content of phenolic compounds than processed olive oil. These phenolic compounds may obstruct the harmful effect of cholesterol on blood vessels. The oxidization of genetic cellular material appears linked to the formation of some forms of cancer.
During two weeks the participants were given a daily dose of 25 ml. of olive. The analysis showed that the excretion of oxidative residue from the DNA and RNA in the urine was higher in the regions of northern Europe when compared to the central southern Europe. These findings uphold the suggestion that the intake of olive oil is beneficial and can reduce the oxidization of DNA.

What can we conclude? – Whereas the flavor enhancing qualities are reason enough for many consumers to include extra virgin olive oil as an integral part of their daily diet. When the documented health benefits are considered, the case for real extra virgin olive oil becomes all the more compelling.