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The benefits of olive oil for health and well-being
Oleic acid, the main component of olive oil, offers properties that help prevent cancer, Alzheimer's or reduce cholesterol.
The beneficial health effects of olive oil, commonly attributed to its minor components, such as polyphenols, have already been well established by science. But little attention has been paid to oleic acid, which accounts for between 70 and 80 percent of its composition . For this reason, a group of professors from the Faculties of Pharmacy and Medicine of the University of Seville, together with professionals from the Sevilla Norte and Aljarafe Health District and the Costa del Sol Hospital, have compiled in a study their main contributions to health.
This fatty acid is the main component of olive oil and is responsible for many healthy properties . Oleic acid is produced through the diet and synthesis in the body itself. Thus, it is the most abundant monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) in the human diet.
The Mediterranean diet is the most recognized for the prevention of diseases and aging . The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is common in the Mediterranean basin and olive oil, which is extracted from its fruit, is the most characteristic nutrient and the main fat in this diet, which is also characterized by a high consumption of vegetables , a moderate consumption of fish, a low-moderate consumption of dairy products, a low consumption of red meat and a moderate consumption of wine.
Oleic acid is the main MUFA in the human circulatory system. In the brain, it is a large component of membrane phospholipids and is highly abundant in the myelin sheaths of neurons. A significant decrease in oleic acid has been observed in the brains of patients with major depressive disorders and Alzheimer's disease .
Like all free fatty acids, oleic acid's main function is to be an energy molecule and an element of cell membranes . One of its most characteristic effects is its antioxidant capacity , since it can directly regulate both the synthesis and the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Another beneficial property is its hypocholesterolemic effect : it decreases the expression of proteins related to cholesterol transport, decreasing cholesterol absorption, thus preventing atherosclerosis.
Oleic acid is also recognized as an anticancer molecule due to the inhibiting effects of said nutraceutical on oncogene overexpression and its effects on programmed cell death. Furthermore, oleic acid is generally considered an anti-inflammatory molecule , although this quality is still the subject of debate in the scientific community.
On the other hand, oleoylethanolamide , a derivative of oleic acid, by itself has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and has currently been proposed as a potent therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity . This reinforces the beneficial characteristics of oleic acid for health. New research suggests that it may influence epigenetic mechanisms (direct modifications to DNA and associated proteins) and modulation of the immune system, specifically regulating those cells involved in the development of inflammation.
Lastly, the authors of this study have observed that most of the works in which olive oil is studied have been carried out in animals, therefore they warn of the need to develop more research to confirm the important properties demonstrated by this molecule and its derivative, oleoylethanolamide, in humans.
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