OLIVE OIL

Could Olive Oil be much more than just an oil from a tree?

Ingredients in the dressing kills tumor cells without hurting healthy ones.

Following a Mediterranean diet has long be regarded as the key to a healthy lifestyle.
And now scientist may have found one of the key reasons why.
An ingredient in extra virgin olive oil oleocanthal, kills human cancer cells without harming healthy ones, researchers found.

The olecanthal works by rupturing a part of the cancer cell called lysosome, which acts as the cell's waste dump, releasing proteins that causes it to die.

When the scientist applied it to a cancer cell in the lab, the cells died very quickly- within 30 minutes to an hour.
The lysosome is the garbage dump or the recycling center said researcher Paul Breslin, from Rutgers University in the US.
"Once you open one of those things, all hell break loose"
Its full of aggressive enzymes that can tear apart anything it comes in contact with.
The lysosome is isolated in the cell because it is toxic. If you rupture the membrane that's compartmentalising the lysosme, the inside of it leaks out into the cell.

When the scientist applied it to a cancer cell in the lab the cells died quickly- within 30 minutes to an hour.
It put them to sleep says professor Breslin whose study was published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Oncology.
After a day, the healthy cells resume their cycles.

Cancer cells have much larger and much more active lysosomes and there is something about that that makes them more vulnerable than healthy cells- but we dont yet know why.
The researcher said the next step is to go beyond laboratory conditions and show that olecanthal can kill cancer cells and shrink tumors living in animals.

A Harvard University study group of 26, 000 people who were followed over a period of 8 years, found that eating good fats such as those found in olive oil can reduce the risk of developing cancer by nine percent.

Last month a study found eating fish, salad and olive oil alongside enjoying an odd glass of wine could transform the lives of men suffering from impotency.

Healthy food clean out the blood vessels especially in the penis meaning men can make lifestyle choices rather than relying on Viagra, researchers found . ( Now this is not a shade at Viagra manufacturers tho)

 Other studies have shown that adopting a Mediterranean diet can also reduce the chances of developing heart disease , type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and even Alzheimer.
One of such studies published in BMJ- last year found eating a Mediterranean diet increases life expectancy by protecting the DNA from damage.
Harvard academics studied 4,676 middle aged women comparing their typical eating habits with the make up of their cells.
Importantly they looked at their telomeres- biological caps which are found at the ends of chromosomes that protect the DNA outsides.
As we get older, our telomeres get progressively shorter, causing the DNA to become damaged and raising the odds of age related illnesses such as Alzheimer , heart disease and diabetes.

The research also found that women that women whose diets where generally low in fat and high in veg had longer telomeres.
But this was even more pronounced for those who followed a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, veg, nuts and pulses.