OLEOCANTHAL AND ITS ANTI-INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE

The beneficial effects of Extra Virgin olive oil are not only due to its precious fatty acids, but also to its polyphenolic fraction. Among these, we find OLEOCANTHAL. It has been demonstrated that it has positive effects on our health, as it triggers an anti-inflammatory response and leads to the reduction of various chronic-degenerative diseases. EVO oil is therefore considered a “Nutraceutical,” whose active principles play an irreplaceable role in meeting many daily requirements.

BUT WHAT IS OLEOCANTHAL?

Oleocanthal is a polyphenolic compound. It is mainly contained in olives and in first-press Extra Virgin olive oil, and its presence decreases in old oil. It is the molecule responsible for the “burning sensation in the throat,” or rather that spicy sensation that we feel when we ingest EVO oil. It has the same effects on the human body as ibuprofen, a painkiller widely used in medicine, which in the long run can have carcinogenic effects. The discovery of oleocanthal happened by chance during a molecular gastronomy meeting in Sicily, where Gary Beauchamp & Paul Breslin, from the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, while tasting dishes seasoned with EVO oil, recognized in that pungent flavor the same sensation as ingesting ibuprofen. Fascinated by the organoleptic similarities, they began researching the chemical components that caused this and discovered OLEOCANTHAL. The scholars tested different qualities of olive oil, verifying that the higher the content of oleocanthal in each, the stronger the pungent sensation. Subsequently, the researchers reconstructed the synthetic form of the molecule in the laboratory, noting that it had identical characteristics to the natural one. Then they tested the anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties of oleocanthal and found a certain positivity, similar to that of ibuprofen.

CAN EVO OIL BE AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY?

Yes, indeed, EVO oil can have anti-inflammatory effects, precisely thanks to the presence of oleocanthal. This is demonstrated by various research studies conducted by scholars. Oleocanthal exerts the same anti-inflammatory response in the body as ibuprofen, acting along the same pathways as a common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It has been shown that oleocanthal blocks the inflammatory cascade by inhibiting both cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inflammatory enzymes in a dose-dependent manner. Its potency is lower than common over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, but the fact remains that EVO oil is a natural product that can be consumed by anyone without side effects. Furthermore, oleocanthal is present only in EVO oil and is not found in any other type of oil. Both in vivo and in vitro research have shown that EVO oil, thanks to the presence of oleocanthal, reduces both the inflammatory response in the body, as well as the pathogenesis and development of many chronic diseases such as: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, neurodegenerative diseases…

• CANCER:
  oleocanthal has anti-proliferative effects on prostate and breast
  cancer cell lines, promoting apoptosis
  (death) of tumor cells. A reduction in lung, laryngeal, and ovarian cancer has also been demonstrated.
  Finally, it
  has been proven to act positively on the reduction of some of the
  most aggressive brain tumors.
  
• CARDIOVASCULAR
  DISEASES: the oleocanthal present in EVO oil has
  been shown to regulate inflammatory genes involved
  in arteriosclerosis, modifying the state of oxidative
  stress, inflammation, lipid peroxidation, and
  the lipid profile in coronary heart diseases.
  
  
• ARTHRITIS:
  oleocanthal attenuates the mediators of inflammation that cause
  degenerative joint disease, acting both
  on local cartilage inflammation and on the inflammatory cascade
  in synovial cells, slowing down the inflammatory and degeneration process.
  It has also been shown to
  reduce arthritic pain by limiting the production of
  prostaglandins. Its anti-inflammatory actions exert powerful
  effects on key immune cells, known as macrophages,
  therefore it is believed to be beneficial also for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid
  arthritis.
  
• NEURODEGENERATIVE
  DISEASES: oleocanthal has been shown to prevent the
  development of lesions associated with Alzheimer’s disease and to
  reduce the formation of beta-amyloid senile plaques in the brain,
  which are believed to be involved in the initiation of Alzheimer’s. Furthermore,
  it also has effects on the prevention of Parkinson’s.
  
  

The source of all these arguments is the OLIVE OIL TIMES page. But in reality, those listed are only a small part of what has been scientifically proven about EVO oil and its molecules. Once again, we are here to demonstrate that a daily, constant, and moderate intake of EVO oil can improve our lifestyle and our health, reducing the inflammatory effects of many chronic and fatal diseases.