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EVOO has Ibuprofen-like anti-inflamatory activity


Gifted Gourmet

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article from WebMD

A daily dose of olive oil may act as a natural pain reliever, according to a new study that shows the Mediterranean staple contains an anti-inflammatory ingredient.  Researchers say they've discovered a previously unknown ingredient in freshly pressed, extra virgin olive oils that acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, much like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen.  They say the soothing effects of the enzyme, which they named oleocanthal, may be responsible for some of the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet, such as a reduced risk of stroke, heart disease, breast cancer, lung cancer, and some forms of dementia, all of which have been linked to inflammation.

So I guess the questions are no doubt manifold here, beginning with "how much must one consume to get the best benefits?" to "Where will I be able to get fresh olive oil rather than the bottled?"

Your opinion humbly requested.

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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They say the soothing effects of the enzyme, which they named oleocanthal, may be responsible for some of the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet, such as a reduced risk of stroke, heart disease, breast cancer, lung cancer, and some forms of dementia, all of which have been linked to inflammation.
I believe that everything is within the context of the diet, there are many variables to a Mediterranean diet and olive oil is just one of those variables. There are so many food studies these days and many of them are just recycled ideas. We have been eating as humans all our lives and some of these studies make it sound like they just re- invented the wheel.

Olive oil for me is a great cooking medium and I have always hated Margarine and my belief from the beginning is backed up with "science" NEW :laugh: findings on cooking with margarine, also with the new :laugh: findings on Cholesterol. :cool: Sidebar ( Corporations pay for these studies).

Back to olive oil; there are oils (olive) that should be used if you are approaching things from the medicinal perspective, you should use only cold pressed and source out oils that are fresh. There is nothing good about rancid olive oil.

Also we need to be more consistent in our eating habits and not jump from one fad to another. Olive oil though has been around since god; so I am sure that there must be something right about it but like I said before it should be placed in context of the lifestyle and diet, maybe a Mediterranean diet is just more the what the put in their mouth, to me it is about the whole mind set and way they live; I believe health is really based on how you think and behave not just what you eat.

We must always be constant in our diets and be true to our bodies, there is nothing worse then just jumping around from one heath approach to another. Your body is the judge and eat what you feel it is the best judge but be consistent and you can not live just off chocolate cake :wub:

long live olive oil

Steve

Edited by stovetop (log)
Cook To Live; Live To Cook
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I'd worry about any EVOO that doesn't have a date on the bottle. I'd also worry that imported olive oils can contain other nut oils because the FDA hasn't revised the content criteria since Lindberg flew. :laugh:

Really that should have been USDA not FDA. Assessing Rubidium 82 or Ammonia N-13 for cardiac Positron Emission Tomography scans should not be in the mind when discussing food.

Edited by Raoul Duke (log)

"I drink to make other people interesting".

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Researchers say they've discovered a previously unknown ingredient in freshly pressed, extra virgin olive oils that acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, much like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen.

It would help if they defined "freshly pressed". Does the beneficial quality of this "previously unknown ingredient" decline rapidly after pressing? I've heard that freshly-pressed oil needs some time to mellow - it starts out bitter and aggressive and evolves into the wonderful stuff we love to cook with. (Someone who's familiar with olive oil production, please correct me if I'm mistaken).
I'd worry about any EVOO that doesn't have a date on the bottle.  I'd also worry that imported olive oils can contain other nut oils because the FDA hasn't revised the content criteria since Lindberg flew. :laugh:
Even the ones that have a date on the bottle aren't all the same. Some have a "bottled on" date, which I would favor over the "best sold by" date. The latter might assume that it's perfectly acceptable for the bottle to sit on the shelf for five years. There's a long, slow transition from past-its-prime to rancid....

As for other oils being mixed in, I'd hope that reputable producers are being honest when they claim "100% pure Extra-virgin olive oil" (from wherever). Maybe the sleazier brands might be adulterated, but I'd think that the marketplace would punish any producer that tried to pull a fast one on their customers. Or are you talking about trace amounts of other oils that might be introduced inadvertently when oils are processed at a contracted plant?

diet schmiet..olive oil and fresh torn basil leaves some red pepper flakes, garlic, throw it over just cooked pasta (don't refresh pasta with cold water) Yummy and now healthy tool

Fran

Have to agree with you about that. And welcome to eGullet, Fran!

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So I guess the questions are no doubt manifold here, beginning with "how much must one consume to get the best benefits?" to "Where will I be able to get fresh olive oil rather than the bottled?"

Your opinion humbly requested.

Alas, the original research article, published in the journal Nature, is only available online if one is willing to cough up $30. I'm not willing. :biggrin:

I did find this article which, while still a layperson-non-technical piece, goes into a bit more detail about how much olive oil contains a reasonable "dose" of this wonder-enzyme, and how to determine what quality/type of olive oil has a higher concentration of it. Note that, according to the study's honcho, you don't need to get olive oil directly from a press.

Now as to larger issues ...

The propensity of mainstream Western medicine, when discovering something like this enzyme, to immediately jump to the idea of isolating it, synthesizing it, and turning it into a pharmaceutical, is one about which I've always had reservations. Not to say that this approach would never work--obviously it has worked, lots of times (witness digitalis, aspirin, and countless other drugs originally isolated from natural sources). But a lot of these naturally-occuring chemicals tend to have all sorts of equally naturally-occurring variants and side-players that work together synergistically, which effect would be lost by isolating the single "star" chemical and turning it into a uniform synthetic drug. Mind you, I also happen to think the way a lot of nutritional-supplement companies have sort of imitated this pharmaceutical paradigm, by isolating and highly refining such substances from natural sources and presenting them as nice neat little pills, is not an optimum approach either, for similar reasons (though I admit supplements can be very handy, and I do use them). And obviously it would be just plain foolish to just tank on the "magic" food in its natural state--at the very least, such behavior would result in a grossly unbalanced diet, and at worst you might find yourself making the medical journals for discovering some heretofore unknown toxic effect of high doses of the food. :rolleyes:

But weaving these kinds of findings into a *balanced* diet, I think, does have a lot of potential. There are, as a matter of fact, a number of other foodstuffs whose anti-inflammatory properties have been corroborated by scientific research--ginger and turmeric are two I can think of just off the top of my head, but there are more. And fortunately, a lot of these foodstuffs are also yummy, and several even play pretty well together from a culinary standpoint. I could visualize a healing regimen for persons suffering from inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, which would include a diet rich in a variety of anti-inflammatory foods as just one part of a multi-level approach (also including appropriate use of modern medicines, plus exercise/physical therapy, massage, etc. etc. etc.--y'know, all the good stuff).

Meanwhile, I'm taking notes on this little story for a possible future article for one of the medical research websites I write for. Thanks for the research help! :biggrin:

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Here is the original article:

Beauchamp GK, Keast RS, Morel D, Lin J, Pika J, Han Q, Lee CH, Smith AB, Breslin PA. Phytochemistry: Ibuprofen-like activity in extra-virgin olive oil. Nature 437, 45-46 (1 September 2005)

Abstract:

Newly pressed extra-virgin olive oil contains oleocanthal — a compound whose pungency induces a strong stinging sensation in the throat, not unlike that caused by solutions of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen1. We show here that this similar perception seems to be an indicator of a shared pharmacological activity, with oleocanthal acting as a natural anti-inflammatory compound that has a potency and profile strikingly similar to that of ibuprofen. Although structurally dissimilar, both these molecules inhibit the same cyclooxygenase enzymes in the prostaglandin-biosynthesis pathway.

I'm not sure why they say "newly-pressed," since a perusal of the supplementary materials indicates that they used "10 commercial Greek, Italian, and U.S. extra virgin olive oils (Falconero, Laudemio, Frantoio, Calonna, Spitiko, Horio, Lucini, Caroli, Sitia, Olio Santo)" to test for pharyngeal irritation and oleocanthal. It doesn't sound like these were "fresh out of the press" olive oils, although I am sure they hadn't been sitting on the shelf for 18 months. For what it's worth, pharyngeal irritation and oleocanthal concentration were positively associated, with Falconero, Laudemio and Frantoio oils having the most of both (interesting to me, since Frantoio is my "house" oil).

--

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After reading the paper there are certain issues that should be explored before I start drinking several liters of EVOO every day. All measurements regarding the "inflammatory" activity of oleocanthal are so far in vitro result but there aren't any in vivo data. That's also called the "biotech disease". Something what is active against certain enzyms in in vitro assays doesn't have automatically the same or even any activity in cells or the body (PK or metabolic reasons). So I really would like to see more "realistic" data before I think that it is a result which has any relevance in humans. In addition, not only since the problems with Vioxx and similar compounds it is at least very controversial if you want to hit COX-1 and 2. There is no evidence until now if the Vioxx side effects are compound or target related.

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Here is the original article:

Beauchamp GK, Keast RS, Morel D, Lin J, Pika J, Han Q, Lee CH, Smith AB, Breslin PA. Phytochemistry: Ibuprofen-like activity in extra-virgin olive oil. Nature 437, 45-46 (1 September 2005)

Abstract:

Newly pressed extra-virgin olive oil contains oleocanthal — a compound whose pungency induces a strong stinging sensation in the throat, not unlike that caused by solutions of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen1. We show here that this similar perception seems to be an indicator of a shared pharmacological activity, with oleocanthal acting as a natural anti-inflammatory compound that has a potency and profile strikingly similar to that of ibuprofen. Although structurally dissimilar, both these molecules inhibit the same cyclooxygenase enzymes in the prostaglandin-biosynthesis pathway.

Alas, I don't have a subscription to Nature, and I can't totally justify blowing the 30 bucks to read the full article. But I'm saving the link.

After reading the paper there are certain issues that should be explored before I start drinking several liters of EVOO every day. All measurements regarding the "inflammatory" activity of oleocanthal are so far in vitro result but there aren't any in vivo data. That's also called the "biotech disease". Something what is active against certain enzyms in in vitro assays doesn't have automatically the same or even any activity in cells or the body (PK or metabolic reasons). So I really would like to see more "realistic" data before I think that it is a result which has any relevance in humans. In addition, not only since the problems with Vioxx and similar compounds it is at least very controversial if you want to hit COX-1 and 2. There is no evidence until now if the Vioxx side effects are compound or target related.

Agreed about the shakiness of extrapolating from "in vitro" data.

Re COX-1/COX-2 inhibitor side-effect issues: I was under the impression that the evidence was indeed implicating COX-2 suppression across all NSAIDs, though the issue is more pronounced with the selective COX-2 inhibitors (including Celebrex and Bextra as well as Vioxx) than with the non-specific COX-1/COX-2 inhibitors (such as ibuprofen). At any rate, looks like the FDA is acting accordingly, specifying stiffer labeling warning of cardiovascular risk for all such products still left on the market (see here.

It should be added that these risks and fatal side-effects only show up after long-term (18 months or longer) daily maintenance use of these drugs at dosages sufficient to mediate chronic pain conditions such as arthritis. As the amounts of anti-inflamatory agent they're talking about in olive oil seem to be a good bit lower than the amount of NSAID you'd take to fight arthritis pain (1.75 oz of olive oil roughly equal to the effects of 10% of a working dose of ibuprofen), I think the risk from the olive oil is much less of a concern--you'd have to tank on an unpalatable amount of oil on a daily basis to equal the amount of NSAID taken by your typical arthritis patient.

So why bother with the olive-oil thang if it's such a low dose? (assuming the finding holds up to in vivo testing, of course...) As the WebMD article says:

... researchers say low doses of other anti-inflammatory agents, like aspirin, have been shown to provide substantial health benefits when taken consistently over time ... Researchers say the finding is significant because chronic inflammation is increasingly thought to play a role in a variety of diseases, from heart disease to cancer.

So I guess they're visualizing a daily hit of EVOO as maybe being something like the daily baby aspirin prescribed for many heart patients.

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Re COX-1/COX-2 inhibitor side-effect issues: I was under the impression that the evidence was indeed implicating COX-2 suppression across all NSAIDs, though the issue is more pronounced with the selective COX-2 inhibitors (including Celebrex and Bextra as well as Vioxx) than with the non-specific COX-1/COX-2 inhibitors (such as ibuprofen).

I know that this is English but I am so confused that I will just take a swig of EVOO from time to time, or maybe just saute a few naproxen tablets in it, and hope for the best! Thanks for your insight on this idea!

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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Is that stinging sensation something I should be looking for in good olive oil?

Something that produces "a strong stinging sensation in the throat" is not exactly what I would say I am looking for in my olive oil.

Exactly what is this stinging sensation and what would be a good way to measure it? If my favorite olive oil does not produce violent gagging, should I switch?

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"Bitter" and "peppery" are better adjectives than "stinging". That's all it means. Green, bitter, grassy, peppery, fresh - all denote good flavor and taste in an oil. It doesn't mean that you have to like it, though. Most people prefer "buttery and mellow" in their olive oils.

Olives picked when barely ripe give Olio Verde its destinctive, powerful flavor and aroma. The Californian McEvoy Ranch oil has similar properties. On the other hand, the Greek Morea is a huge contrast because the olives are harvested when mature. Morea is buttery, fragrant, mellow with just a little pepper.

I'm assuming all three are good for you.

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So I guess they're visualizing a daily hit of EVOO as maybe being something like the daily baby aspirin prescribed for many heart patients.

Funny you should mention this. My husband has a chronic arthitic disease and today went for his annual check up. he was told to take one baby aspirin per day and then was asked about his eating habits.

"do you use much olive oil? " the doctor enquired

"Olive oil! We got olive oil! Several different ones. My wife cooks with it all the time" my husband replied.

"excellent" the doctor replied.

I had no clue of the context until I read this thread. :smile:

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

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As to flavors and aromas, let us keep in mind that as different varieties of grapes will produce wines of distinctly different flavors and aromas, so it is as well with olives. Some varieties (e.g. Manzanillo) will produce soft, gentle oils with nutty flavors while others (e.g. Surie) will give us gentle but distinctly peppery oils.....

As to the acquisition of freshly pressed oil - sorry but unless you're standing at the olive press and sipping the oil before it goes on to bottling that's an oxymoron. Indeed true that unlike wine olive oil is not meant for anything more than short term storage and certainly not for long term aging. As olive oil ages the amount of oleic acid in it rises so what starts off as extra-virgin can easily turn into candle quality oil within two years.

The morals of the story: (a) taste a large number of oils to determine which you enjoy the best; (b) keep at least two or three different kinds of olive oil on hand, some suited for salads, some for marinades, some for cooking, depending on your needs; © buy in quantities that are small enough that you can finish them off before they lose their best qualities.

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As for other oils being mixed in, I'd hope that reputable producers are being honest when they claim "100% pure Extra-virgin olive oil" (from wherever). Maybe the sleazier brands might be adulterated, but I'd think that the marketplace would punish any producer that tried to pull a fast one on their customers. Or are you talking about trace amounts of other oils that might be introduced inadvertently when oils are processed at a contracted plant?

I wouldn't be sure about this. First of all, the marketplace has to realize that a fast one is being pulled.

Germany has an independent consumer organisation that chooses certain products to test each month, and then publishes its results. The products to be tested are bought at standard retail outlets. The results of their research can be pretty eye-opening (and can have a major impact on sales of the product).

Just this last month, they published the results for their tests on olive oil. All of it had been marketed for human consumption, labelled as 'pure, Extra-Virgin' etc., etc.

Many (and not just sleazy brands) were below par, and many contained some type of contaminant (e.g. chemical softening agents). Some were rancid even while still sitting on the shelves waiting to be sold. One of the olive oils was so bad that it was not even food grade. Apparently 3 tablespoons of the stuff per day (if I recall correctly) had so many non-edible contaminants that it could cause heart failure.

A couple of years back, in another (highly reputable) German magazine, they did a similar study on olive oil. In that case, they didn't check for contaminants, etc. but for taste. They took all of the 'Extra-virgin' olive oils available in Germany and got professional olive oil tasters in Italy to taste and rate them.

Again, most didn't pass muster. There was no correlation between quality and price, or between quality and famous brand names. The highest rated one cost only about 2 dollars for a 750 ml bottle, and is available at a very ordinary supermarket chain.

Unless you read this type of report, you honestly won't know whether your olive oil has some type of contaminant. Obviously, people were (and are) buying the sub-par stuff.

I'm sure this type of report must be available in the US also, covering the brands available locally?

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It should be added that these risks and fatal side-effects only show up after long-term (18 months or longer) daily maintenance use of these drugs at dosages sufficient to mediate chronic pain conditions such as arthritis. As the amounts of anti-inflamatory agent they're talking about in olive oil seem to be a good bit lower than the amount of NSAID you'd take to fight arthritis pain (1.75 oz of olive oil roughly equal to the effects of 10% of a working dose of ibuprofen), I think the risk from the olive oil is much less of a concern--you'd have to tank on an unpalatable amount of oil on a daily basis to equal the amount of NSAID taken by your typical arthritis patient.

So why bother with the olive-oil thang if it's such a low dose? (assuming the finding holds up to in vivo testing, of course...) As the WebMD article says:

... researchers say low doses of other anti-inflammatory agents, like aspirin, have been shown to provide substantial health benefits when taken consistently over time ... Researchers say the finding is significant because chronic inflammation is increasingly thought to play a role in a variety of diseases, from heart disease to cancer.

So I guess they're visualizing a daily hit of EVOO as maybe being something like the daily baby aspirin prescribed for many heart patients.

Just a short reply because that is very OT. One problem in the US is that way too many people think that taking any kind of drugs (like Aspirin) on a daily base will have more positive effects than side effects. People have to understand that we don't know much about taking any drug in small quantities over a very long period of time and we don't know much about the possible interactions of any drug with the different enzymes/receptors etc. There are quite often new papers about Aspirin (just to pick one drug) having any kind influence on enzymes unknown before (and that is for a drug we have now for more than 100 years). I highly recommend not taking any drug for a long period of time if not having a very good reason (and a possible prophylactic effect is not a good reason). And it is interesting to see that this is really an US specific problem, you hardly see it in Europe for example.

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Do you know if this test by "Stiftung Warentest" is also available online ? I would like to see if they also tested EVOO which are available here in the US.

Here you go. I suspect that none of these are actually available in the US.

I do seem to remember (I could be wrong) that the other study, concerning taste, did cover some brands also available in the US, such as Bertolli as well as others. It was in Stern magazine, but I really don't recall exactly when.

Edited by anzu (log)
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Do you know if this test by "Stiftung Warentest" is also available online ? I would like to see if they also tested EVOO which are available here in the US.

I have not seen a report on EVOO in the US that addresses the contents. Producers will use cheaper, available nut oils added to olive oil. This is by no means every importer of oil, but as with any loophole some will take advantage. The California Olive Oil Council certifies oils as EVOO under strict criteria and lab analysis results. These oils are identified with the COOC seals. A start to insuring you get what you pay for. Don't wait on the fed's to look out for you. Buy those small bottles and taste, taste, taste until you find what you like.

"I drink to make other people interesting".

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Warning: Shameless Self Promotion

If you're looking for good olive oil, visit my site (link below in signature). I import directly from small producers in Italy. I also have a very good oil from California, although it's not listed on the web site (which, you'll notice, needs updating...sue me, I'm busy). And, contrary to what my site says, I do have the oil from Don Alfonso back in stock. Email me for details.

As for the 'fresh-pressed' thing, almost all oils from the northern hemisphere are produced in the fall. The 'peppery' quality that produces that back of the throat burn is officially called 'pungency' and is a good indicator of the level of phenolic compounds (the antioxidants in the oil). It is a desirable quality provided it's balanced with fruity and aromatic qualities. You don't notice it so much when the oil is consumed with food.

It's likely that extra virgin olive oil is a very healthful food, but more important is the fact that it is delicious, and it makes the other healthful foods (fresh vegetables, grains, etc) taste even better.

Jim

olive oil + salt

Real Good Food

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