Beneficial Effects of Olive Oil on Human Health - A
Review
Harshitha C1, Karthikeyan Murthykumar1,
Anupama Deepak2, Dr.Dhanraj3
1Final year BDS, Department of Prosthodontics,
Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, India.
21St Year BDS, Department of
Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, India.
3Senior Lecturer, Department of
Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, India.
*Corresponding Author E-mail: mayorbosspromo@gmail.com, hoh.nat@rambler.ru
Received on 25.02.2016
Modified on 18.03.2016
Accepted on 10.04.2016 ©
RJPT All right reserved
Research J. Pharm. and Tech. 2016; 9(5): 593-595.
DOI: 10.5958/0974-360X.2016.00112.8
ABSTRACT:
The
use of artificially synthesized pharmaceutical drugs are not generally
preferred as they may have adverse effects on the body. So natural alternatives
are increasingly used for the treatment or prevention of various diseases.
Olive oil obtained from olive (the fruit of Olea europea) has a variety of
health benefits and it is a very effective naturally available alternative. In
this article, the health benefits of olive oil with a special regards to the
oral cavity are discussed. Olive oil is used to treat heart diseases, cancer,
plaque formation and many more conditions. It has antimicrobial, antioxidant,
antiviral and also anticancerous action to an extent.
KEYWORDS: Olive oil, tooth, coronary heart disease,
antioxidant, anticancer, anti microbial.
INTRODUCTION:
Olive oil is a fat obtained
from the olive (the fruit of Olea europaea; family Oleaceae), a traditional
tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. The oil is produced by pressing the whole
olives. The fruit and the compression extracted oil have wide range of
therapeutic and culinary applications. The chief active component of olive oil
include oleic acid, phenolic constituents, and squalene. [1]. Olive oil helps
to lower the risk of heart disease, lower the risk of cancer, reduce
inflammation, lower the risk of type 2 diabetics and also helps protect against
obesity.[2]. Olive oil also cover the teeth with a film of fat molecules that
prevents plaque from forming. Other dietary fats and oils also help to
neutralize acids produced by bacterial plaque [3]. Olive oil is very effective
in reducing the evaporation of water and this can be of help in the protection
of gums and teeth [4].
Antioxidants are believed to
be responsible for a number of olive oil’s biological activities. The oil has
been widely studied for its effect of coronary heart disease (CHD),
specifically for its ability to reduce blood pressure and low-density
lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol [1].
OLIVE
The major component
identified and quantified in olive oil belong to three different classes:
simple phenols (hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol); secoirdoids (oleuropein, the aglycone
of ligstroside, and their respective decarboxylated dialdehyde derivatives);
and the lignin [(+)-1-acetoxypinoresinol and pinoresinol]. All three classes
have potent antioxidant properties. High consumption of extra-virgin olive oil,
which are particularly rich in these phenolic antioxidants (as well as squalene
and oleic acid), should afford considerable protection against cancer (colon,
breast, skin), coronary heart disease, and ageing by inhibiting oxidative
stress [5] In vitro studies have found olive oil phenols are potent
antioxidants, which may provide potential chemo protective properties, although
in vivo studies are lacking. [1]
The antioxidant effect of
olive oil is found to reduce inflammation. [6]
OLIVE
Dental plaque is a complex
bio film that accumulates on the hard tissue in the oral cavity. Although over
500 bacterial species comprise plaque, colonization follows a regimented
pattern with adhesion of initial colonizers to the enamel salivary pellicle
followed by secondary colonization through interbacterial adhesions. [8] In a
study done by Pretty IA et al, it was found that olive oil products show
significant inhibition of plaque re-growth compared with a fluoride-matched
control using the Turesky index and also using the planimetric technique.
Significant decrease in bacterial growth and adhesion were detected in the
presence of olive oil and the dentifrice. The results suggest that the
experimental olive oil containing dentifrice has potential value in the
inhibition of plaque [7]. University of Madrid researchers studied the
anti-cavity properties of olive oil after discovering that resident of town
where olive oil is manufactured have uncharacteristically low levels of tooth
decay and gum disease. They found out that olive oil contains oleuropein, an
anti-bacterial compound that stops gram negative bacteria – the type that cause
gum disease and bone loss – from attaching to teeth. [3] Coating of oral cavity
with olive oil can be of help in decreasing the bacterial growth, preventing
bacterial adhesion and plaque aggregation.[9]
EFFECT ON DRYNESS OF ORAL CAVITY:
Xerostomia (dry mouth) is an
uncomfortable condition and a common oral complaint for which patients may seek
relief from dental practitioners. Complications of xerostomia include dental
caries, candidiasis or difficulty wit the use of dentures.[17] In a study, it
was found that olive oil can be of help in reducing the water evaporation and
also form a protective barrier over the oral tissues. [4]. Thus it helps to
prevent xerostomia by decreasing the evaporation of saliva and lubricating the
oral cavity.
ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTY:
At low concentrations olive
leaf extracts showed an unusual combined antibacterial and antifungal action,
which suggest their great potential as nutraceuticals, particularly as a source
of phenolic compounds. [10] Results of brining experiment indicates that
oleuropein is degraded to antibacterial compounds when unheated olives are
brined. [11] Olive oil extract contain phenolic compounds which have an
anti-oxidant, anti-viral and anti-microbial effects. [12-15] In a study , it
was demonstrated that olive leaf extracts reduced the amount of pain and the
size of the ulcer. There was no evidence of any adverse effects. The healing
properties of the extract could be related to the aforementioned properties,
especially the antimicrobial, of the extract composition.[16].
OLIVE
In a study conducted it was
shown that men in southern European countries had a much lower incidence of
coronary heart disease than men in northern Europe. These differences could be
explained by the difference in ratio of monosaturated to saturated fatty acids
in diet. This suggests that, olive oil, a dietary fat in Mediterranean area,
protect against CHD as it has a high ratio of monosaturated to saturated fatty
acid.[18] Olive oil decrease the plasma
OLIVE
Increased dietary intake of
olive oil is associated with a small decrease or no increased risk of cancer,
despite high lipid intake, in epidemiological study of breast and pancreatic
cancer in several Mediterranean population.[21] Olive oil, especially, extra
virgin, contains smaller amount of hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, but also contain
secoiridoids and lignin in abundance. Both olives and olive oil contain
substantial amount of other compounds deemed to be anticancer agents (e.g.
Squalene and terpenoids) as well as the peroxidation-resistant lipid oleic
acid. [20] A mechanism is proposed for tumor-inhibitory activity of squalene,
based on its known strong inhibitory activity of HMG-CoA reeducates activity,
thus reducing FPP availability for prenylation of some oncogenes (e.g. Ras
prenylation as a step in recolation to cell membranes for function as
signal-transducing agent).[21]
CONCLUSION:
The positive correlation
between olive oil and its effect on tooth, heart disease and cancer concludes
that a diet rich in olive oil is beneficial effect on the human health. This is
mainly attributed to its antioxidant property and the phenolic components
present in it. It can reduce the risk of CHD by decreasing the plasma LDL
concentrations. It lowers the risk of cavities by preventing the adhesion of
plaque to the tooth surface. It is also said to have a mild effect in
decreasing the risk of cancer. Because of these activity, it is preferred as a
natural alternative for other pharmaceutical drugs in prevention and treatment
of these diseases.
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