Olives have been around for literally hundreds of years as food and a natural source of oil.  In the world of alternative medicine, olive oil is hailed as a natural curative and preventive because it naturally protects the body from cholesterol and free radicals.

For some time, many people have been torn between believing alternative medicine and what the medical establishment has to say about foods like olive oil.  Can it really help the human body?  A recent study from Frankfurt, Germany appears to have answered this question - yes, olive oil can help the body stay healthy.

The study

The recent Frankfurt study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Pharmacological Research. Researchers from the University of Frankfurt in Geneva tested the effectiveness of a compound in olive called hydroxytyrosol.

It is believed that this particular compound is the main reason why olive oil and other products derived from the olive tree are so good for the human body.  The researchers wanted to find out whether or not hydroxytyrosol was capable of protecting brain cells from the regular oxidative stresses associated with aging.

Using in-vitro testing methods, the researchers discovered that the compound was capable of lessening the oxidative damage that brain cells received.  The stresses were manually applied in the in-vitro setting.  A natural olive extract was used in the laboratory testing of the chemical compound.

The big question however, is how this chemical compound passes through the blood-brain barrier to protect brain cells.  According to the Frankfurt researchers, compounds from olives naturally latch on to LDL or bad cholesterol.

LDL can pass through the blood-brain barrier and reaches the brain - which is the reason why the scientists strongly believe that the neuro-protective properties of olives can be practically put to use on a daily basis because the benefits are present in-vitro (in controlled laboratory conditions) and ex-vitro (in actual application to humans).

More reasons to love olives and olive oil

A natural way to get all the benefits of olives (and olive oil) is by adopting (partially or in whole) the Mediterranean diet. Need more proof that olives and olive oil are worth trying?

1. According to a 2010 study published in the FASEB Journal, a diet rich in olive oil can help modify genes that are associated with atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and coronary heart disease.

2. New research published in the journal BMC Genomics states that olive oil can help protect the body from different heart problems by helping subdue the inflammation of tissues in the body.

3. In a new study published by scientists from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in Spain, chemical compounds in olive oil influence the cancer-causing gene p21Ras which directly lowers the risk for breast cancer.

4. University of East Anglia researchers presented a new study in the recently concluded Digestive Disease Week Conference that pointed to role of oleic acid (a naturally occurring acid in olive oil) in preventing the painful condition ulcerative colitis. According to the researchers, oleic acid seems to be helping people prevent the painful condition from manifesting by blocking processes that lead to digestive inflammation.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com