Olijfolie tegen kanker.*

Olijfolie blijkt DNA schade te verminderen waardoor de kans op kanker kleiner wordt. Dit zou verklaren waarom kanker vaker voorkomt in Noord-Europa dan in Zuid-Europa, waar veel meer olijfolie wordt gebruikt.
Deense wetenschappers onderzochten gezonde mensen uit vijf verschillende Europese landen. Ze kregen drie weken lang dagelijks 25 ml olijfolie. Gedurende deze periode werden urinestalen genomen van de deelnemers en bekeken op de aanwezigheid van afvalproducten die het gevolg zijn van oxidatieschade aan het DNA. Aan het begin van het onderzoek was de hoeveelheid van deze afvalproducten veel hoger bij mensen uit Noord-Europa dan bij de Zuid-Europeanen. Na de drie weken bleek dat bij de Noord-Europeanen de hoeveelheid van deze afvalproducten flink verminderd was. Minder oxidatieschade aan het DNA betekent minder kans op kanker. Uit de studie blijkt verder dat niet alleen de fenolen in olijfolie hiervoor verantwoordelijk zijn, want olijfolie met andere hoeveelheden fenolen gaf dezelfde resultaten.

New Year's Resolution No. 1: Prevent Cancer, Use Olive Oil

 If you want to avoid developing cancer, then you might want to add eating more olive oil to your list of New Year's resolutions. In a study to be published in the January 2007 issue of The FASEB Journal, scientists from five European countries describe how the anti-cancer effects of olive oil may account for the significant difference in cancer rates among Northern and Southern Europeans.

The authors drew this conclusion based on the outcomes of volunteers from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, and Spain, who consumed 25 milliliters (a little less than a quarter cup) of olive oil every day for three weeks. During this time, the researchers examined urine samples of the subjects for specific compounds known to be waste by-products of oxidative damage to cells, a precursor to cancer. At the beginning of the trial, the presence of these waste by-products was much higher in Northern European subjects than their Southern European counterparts. By the end of three weeks, however, the presence of this compound in Northern European subjects was substantially reduced.

"Determining the health benefits of any particular food is challenging because of it involves relatively large numbers of people over significant periods of time," said lead investigator Henrik E. Poulsen, M.D. of Rigshospitalet, Denmark. "In our study, we overcame these challenges by measuring how olive oil affected the oxidation of our genes, which is closely linked to development of disease. This approach allows us to determine if olive oil or any other food makes a difference. Our findings must be confirmed, but every piece of evidence so far points to olive oil being a healthy food. By the way, it also tastes great."

Another interesting finding in the study suggests that researchers are just beginning to unlock the mysteries of this ancient "health food." Specifically, the researchers found evidence that the phenols in olive oil are not the only compounds that reduced oxidative damage. Phenols are known antioxidant compounds that are present in a wide range of everyday foods, such as dark chocolate, red wine, tea, fruits, and vegetables. Despite reducing the level of phenols in the olive oil, the study's subjects still showed that they were receiving the same level of health benefits.

"Every New Year people make resolutions that involve eating less fat to improve their health," said Gerald Weissmann, MD, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "This academically sound, practically useful study shows that what you eat is just as important as how much you eat. No wonder Plato taught wisdom in an olive grove called Academe."

The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) is published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) and is consistently ranked among the top three biology journals worldwide by the Institute for Scientific Information. FASEB comprises 21 nonprofit societies with more than 80,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States. FASEB's mission is to enhance the ability of biomedical and life scientists to improve -- through their research -- the health, well-being, and productivity of all people. FASEB serves the interests of these scientists in those areas related to public policy, facilitates coalition activities among member societies, and disseminates information on biological research through scientific conferences and publications.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. (Dec. 2006)  (Opm. Meer over olijfolie)