Olive oil against cancer
Olive oil is linked to a reduced risk of developing cancer, since its components (the phenolic compound also known as oleocanthal) can selectively kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed, researchers say.
Danish researchers found that it is likely mainly the monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil that have the beneficial antioxidant effect, not just the antioxidant phenols.
In their research, the Danish scientists studied the blood of 182 European men aged 20 to 60, tracking changes resulting from the consumption of a quarter cup of olive oil daily for 2 weeks.
Three types of olive oil were used, each with different concentrations of the powerful antioxidant compounds known as phenols.
Their findings showed a reduction of around 13% in the substance 8-oxodG, a marker of the DNA damage the human body sustains due to oxidation. The reduction observed was the same regardless of the phenol content of the olive oil used.
It is worth noting that, at the start of the study, blood levels of 8-oxodG in men from Northern Europe were higher than in men from Southern Europe.
These findings confirm that the Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, can offer a great deal to the human body — not only for the heart and blood vessels, but also against cancer.
