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Study Reveals
Olive Oil Protects
DNA from Oxidative Damage
SOURCE: The Federation of American Societies for Experimental
Biology FASEB Journal
(Epub online before print, Nov. 16, 2006)
December
10 , 2006
The study of olive oil continues to reveal hidden nutritional treasures and health promoting benefits such as its ability to raise the “good” HDL cholesterol and lower the “bad “LDL cholesterol, and helping to keep the arteries fluid and supple. Olive oil also naturally contains other heart healthy ingredients such as vitamin E, carotenes, magnesium, chlorophyll, and phytosterols which assist in naturally lowering cholesterol.
Oxygen Damage to DNA
and RNA
While humans must have oxygen to sustain life, it can and does cause
damage to cells, including two nucleic acid polymers within the cells
called deoxyribonucleic (DNA) and ribonucleic (RNA) acids. DNA is mostly
found in the nuclei of cells with small amounts in the mitochondria.
The DNA contains the genetic message, or blueprint of the cell, while
the RNA assists in the transfer of the unique genetic message for cell
division and duplication, or manufacture, of cells from the proteins
made from amino acids that are created by the body or taken from foods.
From the moment of conception, the body is continually replacing old and damaged cells with new ones with the aid of DNA and RNA. You can even say that you are not the same person you were several years ago. Any damage to the genetic message of the DNA and RNA would disrupt healthy cell division and duplication resulting in weakening tissues such as bone, muscles, cartilage, organs, glands, skin, eyes, heart, blood vessels, digestive and immune system. Also, the body would be more prone to aging faster and various diseases such as cancer.
Damage to the DNA and RNA
can be caused in various ways, lack of sufficient nutritional factors
that support healthy function, chemicals, and oxygen, or more specifically
oxidative damage. The amount of oxidative damage can be determined by
the urinary excretion of certain guanine compounds, 8-oxo-guanine, 8-oxo-guanosine
and 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine.
Trial to Determine Olive Oil's Antioxidant Capabilities
Recognizing that the Mediterranean
diet is not only beneficial for the cardiovascular system and promotes
overall health, western European scientists wanted to examine its ability,
particularly olive oil and its phenolic content, to protect DNA from
oxidative damage and reduce cancer risks. This was accomplished by a
multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled crossover, intervention
trial. In this trial the researchers wanted to see what effect the phenolic
content of olive oil would have on the urinary oxidative compounds,
8-oxo-guanine, 8-oxo-guanosine and 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine, of guanine.
For two weeks 182 healthy
males were given 25 ml/d of three olive oils containing low, medium,
and high phenolic content.
Before the olive oil with varying
levels of phenolic content were given to the volunteers they were tested
for a baseline of urinary excretion of the oxidative compounds 8-oxo-guanosine
for RNA oxidation and 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine for DNA oxidation. It was
noted that the males from the Northern regions of Europe had more oxidative
damage than the males from the Central and Southern European regions.
All of the volunteers had their urinary excretions tested for the oxidative compounds following each consumption of the three olive oils with different phenolic content. It was noted that while there were no differences in these compounds the effect of the olive oil on changes of DNA oxidation urinary compound 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine from baseline to post-treatment produced a reduction of DNA oxidation by 13%. This indicates that olive can reduce the rate of oxidation of DNA.
Their research also revealed that the protective effect of olive oil on DNA oxidation was not connected to the amount of phenolic content.
The researchers concluded that the people who live in the Central and Southern regions of Europe may have less cancer than the people who live in the Northern Regions because they consume higher amounts of olive oil.
Trial Results
The
results of this trial showed olive oil reduces DNA oxidation, and increased
olive oil consumption may contribute to reduced cancer rates.
PLEASE NOTE:
Please remember that not all olive oil is the same. You want make sure
that you use Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You also would not expose olive
oil to extreme heat such as in frying, as the heat will destroy its
nutritional value and health promoting benefits.
Elson M. Hass, M.D. (1992). Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts Publishing
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