1.- PREVENTS CANCER: There are many investigations that conclude that a diet that includes extra virgin olive oil can reduce the development of tumors between 8% and 10% and up to 15% in the case of breast cancer. Olive oil contains an essential fatty acid, oleic acid (omega 9), which decreases the levels of an oncogene called HER2/neu. High levels of HER2/neu are present in a fifth of breast cancer patients and indicate aggressiveness. Oleic acid increases the effectiveness of trastuzumab (herceptin®), a monoclonal antibody treatment that targets the HER2/neu gene, and also increases the effect of another drug widely used in breast and ovarian cancer: paclitaxel.

According to research from the University of Jaén, led by Dr. Gaforio, director of the Center for Advanced Studies of Olive Groves and Olive Oil, the conclusion is once again reached that the intake of virgin olive oil, the main element of The Mediterranean diet is correlated with a low incidence of breast cancer.

Specifically, pinoresinol, from the family of phenols that are abundant in extra virgin olive oil, is a phytoestrogen similar to human estrogens. This research arises from the consideration of the role of estrogens in both the development and progression of cancer and the main objective is to investigate the possible effects of pinoresinol in the prevention of cancer, mainly breast cancer.

In the laboratory they have been able to verify that on normal cells it acts by preventing DNA damage and has an antioxidant effect, while on tumor cells it has a cytotoxic, antiproliferative and pro-oxidant effect, that is, it damages and even kills them. Furthermore, it does so on both metastatic and non-metastatic cells.

For more information, this research is collected in a scientific article published by the prestigious international journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

2.- 2.- ANTI-INFLAMMORY ACTION: Due to its oleocanthal content, the extra virgin olive oil has an anti-inflammatory action that could help reduce pain associated with joints and muscles. Several investigations have concluded that people who regularly consume olive oil have fewer ailments than those who do not consume it. Oleocanthal (decarboxymethyl ligustroside aglycone), is a tyrosol ester whose chemical structure is derived from Oleouropein (molecule that gives the bitter character to certain EVOOs), was isolated in some EVOOs and its intensity was measured as a throat irritant, specifically at level of the oropharyngeal region. It was found that the intensity of irritation had a positive correlation with the concentration of said substance, Oleocanthal.

More recently, researchers from the CPAN (Center for Research in Physical Activity and Nutrition) in Australia have reviewed the various beneficial effects that Oleocanthal, present in certain EVOOs, can have on pathological processes related to chronic inflammation, among which are among which are some specific types of cancer, degenerative joint diseases and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s (Parkinson, L. and Keast, R. Oleocanthal, a phenolic derived from virgin olive oil: a review of the beneficial effects on inflammatory disease. Int. Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2014, 15, 12323-12334).

3.- PREVENTS ALZEHIMER: According to a study carried out in June 2017 by researchers at Temple University in Philadelphia (USA) and published in the journal, Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. extra virgin olive oil that protects memory and learning ability and reduces the formation of beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of tau protein – that is, the classic markers of Alzheimer’s disease – in the brain.

Based on the conclusions of the study, extra virgin olive oil is, within the Mediterranean diet, responsible for protecting the brain against cognitive decline and aging.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between extra virgin olive oil and dementia, for which mice were used that were genetically manipulated so that they presented three typical characteristics of Alzheimer’s: damaged memory, beta-amyloid plaques , and neurofibrillary tangles of tau protein. Subsequently, they were divided into two groups, one of the groups was fed with the typical food of laboratory rodents and the other with the same diet but enriched in extra virgin olive oil. It should be noted that olive oil was introduced when the mice did not show symptoms of Alzheimer’s at six months of age. When the mice reached nine months of age, they were subjected to different cognitive tests. And the results obtained determined that the mice whose diet was enriched with extra virgin olive oil obtained better scores in tests to evaluate their functional memory, spatial memory and learning capacity. What’s more, once they reached their first year of life, the mice were subjected to the same tests. And what was seen is that the differences in the test results were even greater. Finally, the authors analyzed the brain tissues of all the animals. And according to the results, those who were not fed extra virgin olive oil suffered a greater and significant loss of brain connections. 4.- PREVENTS CARDIO-VASCULAR DISEASES: The PREDIMED trial (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea) is the largest study that has been carried out on nutrition in Spain. It seeks to assess the effects of the Mediterranean Diet in the primary prevention of chronic diseases. More than 90 researchers from the main Spanish nutrition groups collaborate in this study. This is a large clinical trial with randomized distribution of three different dietary interventions in people at high cardiovascular risk. 7,447 volunteers with a high cardiovascular risk participate with the main objective of finding out if the Mediterranean Diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil or nuts prevents the appearance of cardiovascular diseases (death of cardiovascular origin, myocardial infarction and/or stroke). , compared to a low-fat diet.

This estudy concludes that a traditional Mediterranean Diet supplemented with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Nuts (Walnuts) reduces the incidence of major cardiovascular complications (death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction and stroke) by 30%.

5.- PREVENTS DIABETES: In a study published by he scientific journal Diabetes Care, it was revealed that any Mediterranean diet that has extra virgin olive oil is capable of reducing cases of type II diabetes by up to 50%. This is because olive oil contains healthy fats that could help regulate blood sugar levels and insulin production.

6.- REDUCES BAD CHOLESTEROL: Extra virgin olive oil is also a good ally to regulate cholesterol and eliminate excess bad cholesterol in the body. Monounsaturated fats increase good cholesterol levels and stimulate the elimination of bad cholesterol, while preventing cardiovascular problems.

7.- SOURCE OF ANTIOXIDANTS: Extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants and other essential nutrients that can help strengthen the immune system and offer protection against diseases, fight free radicals and prevent premature aging.