Olive oil: A tablespoon daily slashes stroke, cancer risk – Study

Experts have said that taking a tablespoon of olive oil a day is beneficial to health and helps in living longer.  They said it has antioxidants which help to combat heart disease and cancer – two of the biggest killers of people worldwide. A dietitian Juliette Kellow  and  medical consultant Dr Sarah Brewer recommend the […]

Experts have said that taking a tablespoon of olive oil a day is beneficial to health and helps in living longer. 

They said it has antioxidants which help to combat heart disease and cancer – two of the biggest killers of people worldwide.

A dietitian Juliette Kellow  and  medical consultant Dr Sarah Brewer recommend the oil in their new book ‘Eat Better Live Longer’ saying that the oil could add years to one’s life.

According to them, the common cooking ingredient contains antioxidants which could help to prevent or slow down cancer growth and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes – some of the world’s most common killers.

It may also reduce the damaging effects of cholesterol, blood pressure and age-related diseases, and improve cognitive function, the experts said.

Their claims add to years of scientific evidence suggesting the oil may help people avoid deadly diseases, said the MailOnline. 

Scientists got an insight into how olive oil could fight cancer during a study at Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA, in 2015. 

Researchers found that an ingredient in extra virgin olive oil, oleocanthal, kills human cancer cells without harming healthy ones. The oleocanthal works by rupturing a part of the cancer cell called the lysosome and releasing proteins which kill it.

When the scientists applied the oleocanthal to cancer cells in the lab they died very quickly – within 30 minutes to an hour.

“The lysosome is the garbage dump, or the recycling centre, of the cell”, said researcher Paul Breslin, adding “Once you open one of those things, all hell breaks loose.”

However, oleocanthal does not harm healthy cells – it just effectively puts them to sleep, and they return to normal the next day.   

The oil is high in calories – 100 per tablespoon, according to Brewer and Kellow – so it should be consumed in moderation. They suggest one tablespoon a day.

It also contains a lot of vitamin E which maintains healthy skin and eyes and strengthens the immune system.

 “A review of studies found people with the highest intakes of olive oil compared with the lowest intakes were 34 per cent less likely to have any type of cancer,” Dr Brewer and Ms Kellow said, adding “And particularly breast cancer.”