Oh my I knew olive oil had certain properties that meant it was good to have, but I hadn't looked very far into it....it was a Chris Wark video that gave me the impetus to learn more. It seems olive oil is full of many good things but one in particular is increasingly being talked about in terms of cancer.
The phenolic antioxidant, oleocanthal, which is made when olives are crushed to make olive oil, has been found to kill cancer cells. It seems that it can damage a cell's lysosomes, which are where cells dispose of waste. Cancer cells usually have larger and more numerous lysosomes, making them more vulnerable to oleocanthal than other cells - the good news is that oleocanthal does not damage healthy cells. This research from 2015 was performed on breast, pancreatic, and prostate tumor cells (i).
Since then oleocanthal has also been found to shrink tumors in mice (ii). In particular I liked a Louisiana study that "concluded that oleocanthal can potentially inhibit the growth and relapse of mCRPC in mice by suppressing the enzyme SMYD2 and its downstream substrates - which play a critical role in the progression of this aggressive prostate cancer type". The dose was very high but the researchers concluded that oleocanthal could be an appropriate dietary supplement for immediate use by prostate cancer patients (and survivors) either individually or in combination with standard prostate cancer therapies (iii).
It should be noted that there has also been some evidence from mice studies that high olive oil intake can aggravate cervical cancer (iv). Overall a systematic review of 45 studies in 2022 found that "Olive oil consumption seems to exert beneficial actions in terms of cancer prevention."(v). However this study doesn't seem to look at particular olive oils.
Apparently oleocanthal is also has other impacts - not least being as potent as ibuprofen (viii)!
Quality
Olive oil fraud is well documented. The figures are completely astounding - see this study in California that found over 70% failing to reach standards (vi). Some researchers have claimed up to 80% of extra virgin olive oils sold in supermarkets are counterfeit. Some are labelled as extra virgin when they are not, some have been stored too long and mislabelled, some are diluted with cheap vegetable oils or lower grade chemically refined olive oil.
Chris Wark in a blog quotes olive expert Tom Mueller in his book, 'Extra Virginity': “Italian investigators have found hydrocarbon residues, pesticides, and other contaminants in fake oils, and pomace oil, a common adulterant, sometimes contains mineral oil as well as PAHs, proven carcinogens that can also damage DNA and the immune system.”
Taste test
These oils don't have the benefits that oleocanthal has been shown to produce. Dr Goren who is in the interview with Chris Wark shares in the video and on her website how to check out your oils - see here plus her video (vii). She writes that "real olive oil will have a bright flavour with a peppery aftertaste" - and that you want oils that are "less than two years old" (no harvest date is a 'red flag'), are harvested earlier in the season of possible, have third party testing of their oils on their company website (acidity should be less than 0.7%, lower is better) plus are not in large containers (avoid plastic) as once opened should
be eaten within two months.
To test she says poor a little into a small glass and taste straight. If it has the Oleocanthal then it will have a taste that is "slightly peppery" and has a "somewhat stingy sensation in the back of our palate and top of our throat". The highest quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), often have a higher oleocanthal content; this will have a real “bite” and often even induce a slight cough when tasted like that.
However Dr Goren says that any authentic, fresh (unexpired) extra virgin olive oil, should have at least a small amount of oleocanthal and a noticeable “sting” when you taste the pure oil. Certainly the research indicates that EVOOs also are the best source of polyphenols amongst olive oils.
Dr Goren has, since her amazing research, gone on to sell quality olive oils. In fact it is the same brand that Jane McLelland recommends in her course 'How to Starve Cancer' which I have nearly completed. The price is pretty prohibitive for many even when seeing it as a medical supplement.
How much?
Dr Goren says the research is not sufficient to give good advice but studies suggest two to three tablespoons of olive oil per day is great - but if it is an oil with higher oleocanthal. It is interesting to learn that in Greece it seems doctors can prescribe high phenolic olive oils for folks instead of statins.
Finally I'm not for a moment saying that 'olive oil cures cancer' - but see that Dr Goren's research is exciting. We need more! I'll also be looking out for that peppery taste and being a bit more choosy when it comes to oils!
Watch the Chris Wark interview with Dr Limor Goren on olive oil and oleocanthal to learn more at: https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/dr-limor-goren-on-the-anticancer-effects-of-olive-oil-and-oleocanthal/
And see more of Dr Goren in this interview: https://youtu.be/18pN5l5QT2E
Greek physician Hippocrates, known as the father of medicine, is said to have referred to olive oil as ‘the great therapeutic.’
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