Learn about the benefits of olive oil
Oleic acid is the main component of olive oil, and it has properties that help prevent cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and lower cholesterol.
And about the health benefits of olive oil, he presented the enlightening report via the “medicalxpress” website, the most prominent of which is that it is usually attributed to its secondary components such as polyphenols, which are now well known by science, but little attention has been paid to oleic acid, which represents 70 to 80% of Its composition and that is why a group of professors from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine of the University of Seville, in collaboration with professionals from Northern Seville, the Aljarafe Health Region and the Costa del Sol Hospital, has prepared a study on its main contributions to health.
This fatty acid is the main component of olive oil and is responsible for many of its health-promoting properties. Oleic acid is produced by diet and synthesis in the body itself, and is therefore the most abundant monounsaturated fatty acid in the human diet.
The Mediterranean diet is the most famous diet for preventing diseases and aging, and the olive tree is abundant in the Mediterranean basin. Veggies, moderate. Fish consumption, moderately low dairy consumption, and low red meat intake
Oleic acid is the major MUFA in the human circulation, and in the brain, it is a major component of membrane phospholipids and abounds in neuronal myelin sheaths. A significant decrease in the level of oleic acid was observed in the brains of patients with major depressive disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.
Like all free fatty acids, the main function of oleic acid is as an energy molecule and a component of cell membranes. One of its most distinctive effects is its antioxidant properties, since it can directly regulate both the synthesis and activity of antioxidant enzymes. Another beneficial property is its hypocholesterolemic effect. In the blood: it inhibits the expression of proteins associated with cholesterol transport, reduces cholesterol absorption and thus prevents atherosclerosis.
Oleic acid is also known as an anti-cancer molecule because of its inhibitory effects on the overexpression of oncogenes and its effects on apoptosis. Furthermore, oleic acid is generally considered an anti-inflammatory molecule, although this quality is still debated among scientists.
On the other hand, oleoylethanolamide, a derivative of oleic acid, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of its own, and has now been proposed as an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity. This confirms the benefits of oleic acid for health, and emerging research suggests that it may influence epigenetic mechanisms and direct modifications of DNA. and proteins associated with DNA and modulate the immune system, specifically by regulating cells involved in the development of inflammation.
Finally, the authors of this study point out that most of the studies on olive oil have been conducted on animals, and so they caution that more research is needed to confirm the important properties that this molecule and its derivative, oleatethanolamide, have shown in humans.