Olive Oil Use May Prevent Cancer

“Adding plenty of olive oil to a diet could help protect against cell damage that can lead to cancer, experts say. A study of 182 European men found those who had 25 milliliters of olive oil per day had reduced levels of a substance which indicates cell damage. The Danish team said it may explain why many cancer rates are higher in northern Europe than the south, where olive oil is a major part of the diet. The study is in the Federation American Societies for Experimental Biology.”

Olive oil ‘can cut cancer risk’

“The Copenhagen University Hospital researchers looked at 182 healthy men aged between 20 and 60 from five European countries. The scientists added either virgin, common or refined olive oil to their diets over two weeks. At the end of study, scientists measured levels of the substance which indicates oxidative damage to cells, called 8oxodG, in the men’s urine. Oxidative damage is a process whereby the metabolic balance of a cell is disrupted by exposure to substances that result in the accumulation of free-radicals, which can then damage the cell.”