Olive Oil Protects Against Cancer. Learn More

Golden Guardian: How Olive Oil Shields Against Cancer

Table of Contents

- Mediterranean Diet

- The Secret Behind Mediterranean Fitness

- Olive Oil

- Olive Oil and Health

- Olive Oil and Cancer Prevention

Mediterranean Diet

There exist a multitude of cultures globally, each boasting its unique culinary traditions. People’s dietary preferences are influenced by local beliefs, customs, taste buds, and climate.

While all cuisines have their pros and cons, when it comes to health and fitness, the Mediterranean cuisine stands out as unparalleled, which is the cuisine native to the Mediterranean region.

Mediterranean diet is inspired by this rich cuisine, a diet noted for its potential in promoting effective weight management as well as improving cardiovascular and digestive health and a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

The Secret Behind Mediterranean Fitness

What makes the Mediterranean diet so much heart-healthy is a matter of debate.

Often, all this goodness of the Mediterranean diet is attributed to its semi-vegetarian nature, featuring an abundance of fresh vegetables like tomatoes, garlic, and peppers, alongside whole grains, multiple servings of fresh fruit, nuts, and legumes on a daily basis.

These foods abound in essential minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, known to support optimal health.

However, one often overlooked yet potent component of this diet is olive oil, the primary cooking fat in Mediterranean cuisine. Numerous scientific studies conducted over the past five decades have highlighted its significant contribution to the diet's countless health advantages.

Olive Oil

Olives are a fruit native to the Mediterranean region. This fruit is rich in fat in the form of liquid. This liquid fat can be extracted from the olives by pressing them, resulting in what is commonly known as olive oil.

Being grown mainly in the Mediterranean region, olive oil is the most common oil in that region, employed both in cooking and as a salad dressing.

Olive Oil and Health

Olive oil has earned recognition as the healthiest of all types of dietary fat. Olive oil is full of monounsaturated fatty acids, which boost good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol, which aids in clearing excess cholesterol from the bloodstream) and reduce bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol, which can accumulate in blood vessels) in the body, thereby preventing high cholesterol and mitigating the risk of life-threatening conditions such as stroke and heart attack.

Similarly, this fat has been shown to enhance metabolism and activity levels as well as be helpful in anger prevention.

But one main, worth noting benefit of this heavenly oil which has been found from century-wide research spanning multiple nations is its anti-cancer property.

Olive Oil and Cancer Prevention

It’s no more just a hypothetical statement; I’d say it’s a scientific fact now. All major studies and experiments conducted to validate this claim have reached the same conclusion. Eating olive oil in place of other fats reduces your chances of developing any type of cancer, especially breast cancer and gastric cancer.

In a 2011 systematic review, which analyzed relevant literature published between 1991 and 2011 and involving 13,800 patients, the primary objective was to assess the association between olive oil or monounsaturated fat intake and cancer development. The findings revealed that compared to the lowest intake group, individuals in the highest category of olive oil consumption exhibited reduced odds of developing any type of cancer, regardless of their country of origin, whether Mediterranean or non-Mediterranean. Furthermore, higher olive oil consumption was correlated with a lower risk of developing breast cancer and cancers of the digestive system when compared to those with lower intake levels.

In a recent meta-analysis and systematic review conducted in 2022 by Markellos, Christos, et al., it was revealed that the highest consumption of olive oil was linked to a remarkable 31% reduction in the likelihood of developing any type of cancer as well as breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, upper aerodigestive tract cancer, and urinary tract cancer. Importantly, these significant protective effects were observed across both Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean populations, indicating the broad-reaching benefits of olive oil consumption in cancer prevention.

These comprehensive analyses underscore the potential protective effect of olive oil against various forms of cancer, highlighting its significance in dietary recommendations for cancer prevention.

The reason for this effect of olive oil is thought to be due to oleocanthal, a substance found in olive oil, especially extra-virgin olive oil.

Oleocanthal possesses potent properties that enable it to selectively target and eliminate cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. It achieves this by penetrating the lysosomes of cancer cells. Lysosomes are cellular organelles responsible for containing waste products of the cell, including enzymes that, when released, can trigger cell self-destruction. By disrupting the lysosomal function, oleocanthal effectively induces apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells, thus impeding their growth and proliferation without causing harm to surrounding healthy tissues.