You probably already know that olive oil is good for your heart, and considered by many to be one of the prime nutrients that make a Mediterranean Diet so healthy. But did you know it may also protect against cancer? While it’s certainly not the first study to suggest a link between olive oil and cancer protection, new research presented in the International Journal of Cancer suggests that virgin olive oil phenols can inhibit carcinogenesis in colon cells – potentially halting their transformation from healthy to malignant. If you’re an olive oil lover like me, you couldn’t ask for more delicious news.

According to Reuters, the researchers exposed colon cancer cell lines in the lab to phenols extracted from virgin olive oil, in order to test whether they would exhibit an anti-cancer effect. They found that –

Incubation of one cancer cell line with increasing concentrations of olive oil phenols for 24 hours protected the cells from DNA damage…

The effect OF olive oil phenols on another cell line after 48 hours of exposure suggested that they may “exert an anti-promoter effect in the carcinogenesis pathway.”

Gill’s group also observed a significant reduction in the invasiveness of colon cancer cells with the addition of olive oil phenols.

Next step: animal studies, but I think it’s safe to say that with all of the other great research going on into the health-promoting effects of olive oil, it may be time to add this Mediterranean staple to your arsenal of flavorful and functional foods. From my experience, once your taste buds adapt to the subtle flavor of a quality olive oil, you’ll never want to go back.

In our kitchen it beats butter hands down.

SOURCE: Reuters – Virgin olive oil blocks cancer cells in lab

Technorati Tags: Cancer Prevention, Colon Cancer, Nutrition, Nutrition & Cancer, Olive Oil