Edited by Prroperties Muzzalupo. Enhance immune response Oil Has Antibacterial Properties. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Prefer Antoxidant from France Liver support for overall wellbeing according to traditional and natural methods! For that reasons it is possible to emphasize that olive oil rich diet protects human health from cardiovascular diseases. Medically reviewed by Katherine Marengo LDN, R. Olive Oil Is Protective Against Heart Disease.

Antioxidant properties of olive oil -

Many of the fruits and vegetables we consume contain a large number of compounds critical for life. One such type of compound is known as antioxidants.

Why are antioxidants so important for our health? To better understand this, you must first understand and appreciate how our bodies make energy from the process of oxidation.

Oxidation is a natural process our cells use to create energy from the oxygen we inhale. As energy is being produced in our cells, some oxygen molecules known as oxygen free radicals or reactive oxygen species are produced as a by-product of these processes.

These oxygen free radicals can damage your cells and DNA when in high concentration. Continuous damage by oxygen free radicals, most often termed oxidative stress , can lead to various conditions including:.

Unfortunately, the production of these harmful chemicals is sometimes enhanced by the environment in which we live. Several lifestyle, stress, and environmental factors shown to increase the production of oxygen free radicals include but are not limited to :.

So how do antioxidants fit into the grand scheme of our bodies and our health? There are hundreds of known antioxidants, some of which we consume in our daily diets:. Polyphenols also supply our senses with the bitterness, odor, color, and flavor we perceive when we consume specific types of food, specifically fruits and vegetables.

Polyphenols are of great interest to scientists and nutritionists alike for their antioxidant functions and in the prevention of various diseases. The field of polyphenol research, and specifically the mechanism of their antioxidant functions, remains a very fertile area of scientific research. One type of polyphenol of interest for this particular discussion are olive polyphenols.

Olive oil, an oil known to be rich in monounsaturated fats and polyphenols, is a key component to many diets including the Mediterranean Diet. Extra virgin olive oils have the most antioxidants and polyphenols present, and depending upon the quantity of polyphenols, it can influence the flavor of the olive oil.

Due to its higher concentration of polyphenols, extra virgin olive oil is more flavorful than regular olive oil. While there are many types of olive polyphenols, much of the research to this point has focused on three:.

Previous studies have also demonstrated these polyphenols from virgin olive oils and not sunflower oil protect against coronary heart disease by preventing oxidation of the cholesterol carrying molecule known as a low density lipoprotein. When cooking with extra virgin olive oil, different culinary methods may diminish the quantity of polyphenols in vegetables including potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, and pumpkin.

Most of this loss is due more to the temperature extra virgin olive oil is cooked at rather than time spent cooking. Studies have shown that these polyphenols typically migrate from olive oil to vegetables being cooked efficiently; it is recommended olive oil be added to all vegetables as part of your meal preparation to acquire a diet rich in polyphenols.

The benefits of consuming natural plant polyphenols have been known for quite some time. Research suggests these polyphenols may reduce morbidity and slow the progression of several types of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, as well as cardiovascular disease.

Oleuropein , hydroxytyrosol , and other polyphenol compounds are abundant in olive oil. And while some olive polyphenols may be lost in cooking, not all are Free Radical Biol. Lipids 37 , — Food and Agricultural Organization : Food Balance Sheets, Rome: FAO.

Lancet , — Gutfinger T : Polyphenols in olive oil. Oil Chem. Halliwell B : Lipid peroxidation, antioxidants and cardiovascular disease: how should we move forward? Helsing E : Traditional diets and disease patterns of the Mediterranean, circa FEBS Lett. Lipids 36 , — Spectroscopic characterizations of the secoiridoid derivatives.

Nutrition 18 , 60— Do the antioxidant trials conducted to date refute the hypothesis? Circulation , — Article Google Scholar. Atherosclerosis , 25— Free Radical Res.

Google Scholar. Vissers MN, Zock PL, Leenen R, Roodenburg AJ, van Putte K. Atherosclerosis , 15— Download references.

We thank Stella van Boom, Marjolein Hagemans, Rianne Leenen, Annet Roodenburg, Philip Rijken, Karel van Putte, and Lilian Tijburg for their information and valuable comments.

Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. Contributors : MV searched the Medline database, and all authors contributed to the writing of the review.

Supported by the International Olive Oil Council and the Foundation for Nutrition and Health Research. Reprints and permissions. Vissers, M. Bioavailability and antioxidant effects of olive oil phenols in humans: a review.

Eur J Clin Nutr 58 , — Download citation. Phenols But what exactly are phenols? Extra Virgin Olive Oil How do you get these phenol benefits from extra virgin olive oil?

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Thank you for Antioxidwnt nature. Antioxidamt are using MRI scan procedure browser version Antioxxidant limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we proprties you use a more up to date browser or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer. In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. Objective : We reviewed the bioavailability and antioxidant effects of phenols from extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil pro;erties often Liver support for overall wellbeing olove polyphenols and antioxidants Antilxidant Boost metabolism with natural ingredients to the potential health oul from extra virgin olive oil. It is important then to understand the difference between Mental focus strategies for students polyphenol and an antioxidant, and what role they play in our health. Antioxidants are molecules that protect our bodies from the damage caused by free radicals. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant that is found in abundance in extra virgin olive oil. Oxidation and the Importance of Antioxidants. Many of the fruits and vegetables we consume contain a large number of compounds critical for life.