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Olive Oil May Boost Blood Vessel Function
September 4, 2012

Supplementing the diet with olive oil may improve the function of cells lining blood vessels in people with atherosclerosis, says a new study from the U.S. and Italy.

"The current study demonstrates that longer-term supplementation of olive oil improves endothelial function in individuals with low to intermediate cardiovascular risk, an effect likely attributed to reduction in vascular inflammation," they wrote in the European Journal of Nutrition.

"This is the first such demonstration of such a permanent endothelial benefit via long-term supplementation of a macronutrient."

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic and College of Medicine and the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Florence investigated the effects of olive oil supplementation (30 mL per day providing 340 mg/kg polyphenols), with or without added EGCG (providing a total of 600 mg/kg of polyphenols), on the function of the endothelium—the cells lining the surface of the blood vessels.

Endothelial dysfunction is reported to be a predictor of future cardiovascular events in people with high risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease.

The participants all had atherosclerosis, meaning they already had dysfunction of the endothelium. Eighty-two people participated in the double-blind, randomized trial.

Fifty-two people completed the four month study and results showed that olive oil "significantly improved endothelial function," with no significant differences between the groups.

Olive oil was also associated with a "significant reduction in inflammatory parameters," said the researchers. "Interestingly, patients with low endothelial function at baseline appear to garner the most benefit from olive oil," they said.

"Thus, supplementation with olive oil seems a reasonably easy and relatively cheap dietary measure to improve the endothelial function and perhaps favorably alter the progression of atherosclerotic disease, particularly in patients with already markedly impaired endothelial function

Wow! Great find. Do you know what it is about olive oil that makes it superior to other oils? I currently use canola instead. But am willing to switch.

important to buy organic extra virgin cold pressed if you can.

www.all-about-olive-oil.com/cold-pressed-olive-oil

Great article, dania! Wondeful to see more studies on the healing properties of this oil. Olive oil is a wonderful anti-inflammatory agent. I mention it as a "healthy fat" alternative to transfats in the endothelial health program.


http://www.ccsvi.org/index.php/helping- ... ial-health

Here's a list of fats which gives amounts of saturated, monounsaturated (the best for you, like olive oil), polyunsaturated, and transfats and explains the good, the bad and the ugly (BTW--coconut oil is a saturated fat and many put it in the bad column, but it has many healing properties. Jury's out on that one._
http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/culina ... ttable.htm
cheer

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Husband dx RRMS 3/07
dx dual jugular vein stenosis (CCSVI) 4/09
dual stents placed 5/09
CCSVI in MS

cheerleader,
does flaxseed oil also improve endothelial function as olive oil? I take expeller pressed organic 2tbs. daily (mixed with lowfat cottage cheese,
Dr. Johanna Budwig protocol)

Wonderful article! Because I decided to reduce my intake of saturated fat as part of the Swank Diet, and because I read about the health benefits of olive oil, I switched to using Olive Oil as a replacement for butter or margarine shortly after I was diagnosed with MS.

I have a glass container with a plastic lid that is roughly the same size and shape as a tub of margarine. I fill it with Olive oil and put it in the fridge. Within about two days it has solidified to a consistency and color that is fairly similar to butter or margarine. I take it out of the fridge just long enough to spread the olive oil on my toast in the morning. Its very melt in your mouth yummy in addition to being very good for you!

When the first tub of olive oil is about half empty I get out my second glass jar and fill it with olive oil to put in the fridge. That way by the time the first tub is empty, the second one is ready to be used.

Its a simple easy way to get your daily dose of olive oil. And I recommend buying extra virgin organic olive oil, in order to get the best quality oil with the least amount of pesticide and herbicide residues. I watch for the sales and buy several bottles on sale at a time.

Its good to buy it in small enough containers that you can use it up within two months of opening the bottle, and store the bottles in a cool dark place.

I have found that some brands of olive oil solidify when refrigerated better than others. I researched this and found an article that says the difference has to do with the variety of olive used. Some varieties of olives have more naturally occurring wax in them than others. Its the wax that allows the olive oil to solidify when refrigerated. So if you try refrigerating your olive oil and it won't solidify, try a different brand.

Mary Ann

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DX 6-09 RRMS

I grew up on the stuff, and most meals today are created with it; but I still have MS. Dr Zamboni also appears to find patients to treat, in a country using it heavily; although I personally prefer Spanish olive oil.

Yes, I would never say its a cure or even a preventative for MS. But it seems possible that it might contribute to moderating the affects of the disease in some modest, incremental way. Every little bit helps, or at least we can hope so. I consider it to be part of my toolbox of tricks that I hope will help slow the progression of my MS. Even if it has no effect on MS, it has been shown to be helpful with respect to other aspects of health.

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DX 6-09 RRMS

Hi Cece,
I stopped using canola oil for sautéing veggies and use olive oil instead since I found that the veggies burn more easily with canola oil. My hypothesis is that this is due to the high omega-3 content of canola oil as these polyunsaturated fats are sensitive to heat. In contrast, canola oil is great for baking.

NHE

thanks NHE, that's good to know.
I bet omega-3s was why I settled on Canola, along with the price being low.

that is difficult to understand. Canola oil has a higher boiling point than olive oil and for that reason i think it smokes less. so I use canola for frying and sauteing. Olive oil taste is better as long as it is not heated.

also frying with olive oil degenerates the oil and diminish some of its beneficial effects, in addition to degrading the taste.

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Salvatore JA Sclafani MD
Patient contact: ccsviliberation@gmail.com