Super premium extra virgin olive oils (like and our very own Sicilian Early harvest and Laudemio) have no less than 25 different polyphenols including a very, very important one- Oleocanthal, which has been proven to help reduce bad cholesterol, reduce the risk of stroke, prevent the onset of dementia and the risk of Alzheimer’s, lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, reduce the risk of high blood pressure, protect against heart disease and prevent the DNA damage that can trigger cancer.
Consumption of such super premium oils on a daily basis has also been shown to have a positive impact on a range of chronic inflammation related diseases too such as arthritis.
And that’s why many people worldwide are now partaking in a new “healthy living” trend taking the world by storm of “drinking” 20 to 30ml of a super-premium oil first thing in the morning, every morning on an empty stomach and then leaving it for 20 minutes or so before eating or drinking anything else, in order to allow the oil time to get to work and do its magic!
Here we have explored the benefits more fully.
Dementia
Numerous studies have shown that oleocanthal interferes with the aggregation of Amyloid beta protein in the brain which is found in in people with Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia. Cancer
Polyphenols are known to slow the spread of cancer with oleocanthal thought to play a leading role. Basically COX2, a cyclooxygenase enzyme aids the development and spread of several types of cancer. Oleocanthal has the ability to reduce the intensity of this nasty enzyme!
Cardiometabolic disease
Research has indicated oleocanthal helps to increase blood antioxidant defences and decrease oxidative stress and inflammation parameters.
This is important because oxidative stress is widely believed to precede the
development of inflammation which is related to insulin resistance and the potential development of diabetes.
Heart disease
Polyphenols modulate oxidative stress in blood vessels, lowering inflammation – a common symptom in many heart disease and stroke patients. Polyphenols significantly reduce peripheral and central systolic blood pressure which again reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure risk.
Lowers “bad” cholesterol and raises “good” cholesterol
There are two types of cholesterol: LDL or “bad” cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol.
High LDL cholesterol levels are bad for the cardiovascular system because they contribute to nasty fatty build ups in the arteries- known as atherosclerosis, which increases the risk of heart attack or stroke. On the other hand, HDL cholesterol is good for you as it carries LDL cholesterol away from the arteries and on to the liver to be broken down and removed from the body for altogether.
Helps to regulate blood glucose levels
Type 2 diabetes is caused when cells in the body don’t respond to insulin as they should and so the pancreas continues to produce more of it to try and elicit a response. This causes blood sugars to rise to unhealthy levels leading to other health problems such as heart disease, vision loss and kidney disease. Polyphenols help to lower blood sugar levels whilst at the same time increasing glucose tolerance and thus reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Helps to mitigate the effects of arthritis
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are conditions aggravated by the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines that increase nitric oxide and prostaglandin production and synthesize the enzymes that degrade cartilage in the joints. Oleocanthal, a very important polyphenol inhibits cyclooxygenase and helps to weaken the symptoms associated with cytokine inflammation and in turn reduce the production of nitric oxide and prostaglandins.
Helps to repair damaged skin
Oleocanthal helps to stimulate fibroblast production which are cells in the skin and responsible for the regeneration and repairing of damaged skin.
Those now perhaps thinking of joining in with this new “feel good/live longer” health trend really should do so by drinking an olive oil that is going to deliver the health benefits desired in bucketloads rather than by going with an inferior, albeit perhaps much cheaper alternative oil that won’t give them anywhere near as much in return.
Essentially, they need to be choosing an oil with a polyphenol level of at least 250mg per kilogram of oil, that according to EU Regulation 432/2012 an oil needs to reach in order to claim to be a “high polyphenol olive oil”.
The message is clear….don’t be wasting your time drinking a “typical” supermarket oil (branded or own label) that simply because of the way it is made, will struggle ever to achieve a polyphenol level of more than 90mg per kilo of oil never mind the EUs 250mg benchmark!
Choose a high polyphenol olive oil that’ll do the job!
Sicilian Olive Oil: New Season
Sicilian Olive Oil: Early Harvest
Tuscan Olive Oil: Laudemio Fattoria Di Maiano