OLIVE OIL GENES

OLIVE OIL GENES

Research has shown that consuming large amounts of olive oil suppresses genes which cause inflammation and can lead to problems like heart disease. Researchers gave 20 volunteers at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, meals containing virgin olive oil with either high or low levels of certain compounds, known as phenols. The effects on various genes in white blood cells were then studied. Meals with olive oil high in phenols were associated with a greater reduction in gene activity related to inflammation than meals with olive oil lower in phenols. Inflammation is involved in the build-up of fatty deposits in blood vessels, leading to heart attacks and strokes.

In this small study it is not possible to say with certainty whether these changes in gene activity contribute to the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease attributed to the Mediterranean diet.

The research was carried out by Dr Antonio Camargo and colleagues from the University of Cordoba and other research centres in Spain and the US and published in the journal BMC Genomics.

The Mediterranean diet, which is rich in olive oil, is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular risk. The researchers thought that this reduced risk might be attributed in part to virgin olive oils that are high in phenols affecting genes in the body.

This study contributes to our understanding of the effect of phenols on gene expression in white blood cells. However, it is only a very small piece of the complex puzzle of how diet affects our health. It is very difficult to say whether the changes seen are responsible for some of the reduction in cardiovascular disease from eating a Mediterranean diet and, if so, what the extent of their effect is.

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Written by Dr Martin Harris, Doctor and Mohel for Jewish Circumcision Clinic in London Bris Mila Brit Milah.
www.circumcisionlondon.co.uk

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Contact Dr Martin Harris