Olive Oil Has Painkilling Properties
A chance tasting at a scientific meeting in Sicily has led to
another reason for including olive oil in your diet.
The pungent liquid turns out to contain a compound that has the
same molecular action as ibuprofen, the widely used painkiller,
researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia
report in the Sept. 1 issue of Nature.
And that similarity means that olive oil may offer the same health
benefits as low-dose use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen,
said research leader Paul A. S. Breslin. Those benefits include
a reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, some cancers and
Alzheimer's disease.
The research effort had its beginning at a meeting on molecular
gastronomy, where Gary Beauchamp, director of Monell, was offered
some newly pressed extra-virgin olive oil.
"He tasted it and it stung in his throat the same way as ibuprofen,
a distinct sensation," Breslin said. "He brought that virgin olive
oil back to us. We isolated a compound from it, synthesized it
and tested it for activity."
That newly discovered compound has been named oleocanthal by
the Monell researchers. Tests show that it inhibits cox-1 and
cox-2, molecules associated with pain and inflammation, just as
ibuprofen does.
But the action of oleocanthal is much weaker than that of ibuprofen.
It would take 500 grams of olive oil to get the effect of the
ibuprofen dose recommended for adult pain relief.
Breslin certainly isn't recommending that high a daily dose of
olive oil. But he did say the new finding offers another reason
for Americans to adopt the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in
fish, unsaturated fat, fresh vegetables -- and olive oil.
"You could take a baby aspirin every day, but the Mediterranean
diet offers the same health benefits," he said.
Olive oil can be substituted for some of the fat-rich products
that abound in the current American diet, Breslin said. "You can
put butter on your toast or dip it in olive oil," he said. "It's
a no-brainer."
The health benefits of olive oil already have official federal
approval. Last November, the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration authorized advertisements saying that
olive oil helps reduce the risk of coronary disease.
More information
The Mediterranean diet and its benefits are described by the
American
Heart Association.
Reference
Source 101
September
1, 2005
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