The Mediterranean diet, often considered among the healthiest ways to eat, is built around olive oil. Olive oil has several health advantages, most of which are due to its small ingredients, such as polyphenols. The potential benefits of oleic acid, which is between 70% and 80% of olive oil, is now the focus of a new study.
Olive oil has many benefits to human health
According to researchers from the University of Seville’s Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine, the main ingredient in olive oil has qualities that decrease cholesterol and stave off cancers and Alzheimer’s disease.
It’s hard to match the Mediterranean lifestyle concerning disease prevention and delaying ageing. In the meantime, olive trees are widely spread throughout the Mediterranean region. Naturally, the fruits of those trees are where olive oil is derived, making it the most distinctive nutrient and a primary source of fat in a normal Mediterranean diet. Consuming vegetables, fish, low to moderate dairy intake, little or no red meat, and moderate wine usage are additional components of the Mediterranean diet.
Oleic acid has antioxidant properties
Oleic acid is the main component found in olive oil and has many health benefits. Researchers said that the oleic acid from the Mediterranean diet could synthesize itself in the body. Therefore, it forms a significant proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids in the diet, and it’s the main fatty acid found in the circulatory system. In the brain, oleic acid is part of the phospholipids membrane and binds to the neuronal myelin sheaths. According to doctors, there is decreased oleic acid in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and major depressive disorder.
Like most fatty acids, oleic acid is an energy molecule and a cell membrane component. Among the main characteristics of oleic acid are its antioxidant properties since it regulates the activity and synthesis of antioxidant enzymes. It is also recognized as an anti-cancer molecule attributed to inhibitory effects in oncogenes expression. The anti-inflammatory effects of oleic acid are an aspect currently under study.
