Olive oil may help prevent brain cancer, according to the latest medical research from scientists at University of Edinburgh in the U.K.
Olive oil has been recognized for many years as a healthy oil, full of important health benefits, healthy fats, and for good reason. It is often referred as: “Liquid Gold“.
It is a favorite among chefs, nutritionists and is also a staple in the heart healthy Mediterranean diet.
In the new research, UK scientists found that oleic acid – a monounsaturated fat in olive oil – stops cancer-causing protein activity in brain cells.
Brain cancer is when a malignant (cancerous) tumor is formed in the brain.
According the American Brain Tumor Association, nearly 80,000 new cases of primary brain tumors are estimated to be diagnosed this year. Approximately 32 percent of brain tumors are malignant.
Previous research has shown that oleic acid helps stop the activity of disease causing proteins.
Study co-author Dr. Gracjan Michlewski and his research team set out to find how oleic acid affects the activity of the protein miR-7, which is known to be associated with brain tumors.
The researchers tested oleic acid on human cells and cell extracts.
The team found that oleic acid does indeed inhibit the activity of a protein called Musashi homolog2, which is associated with brain tumors.
The researchers note that while more research is needed, the results look promising.
Dr. Michlewski concludes: “While we cannot yet say that olive oil in the diet helps prevent brain cancer, our findings do suggest that oleic acid can support the production of tumor-suppressing molecules in cells grown in the lab. Further studies could help determine the role that olive oil might have in brain health.”
The study showing that olive oil may help prevent brain cancer was published in the Journal of Molecular Biology.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Brain Cancer Could Be Prevented with Olive Oil Compound.” Medical News Today. Medical News Today, n.d. Web. 6 June 2017.
2. “Oleic Acid Induces MiR-7 Processing through Remodeling of Pri-MiR-7/Protein Complex.” Science Direct. Journal of Molecular Biology, n.d. Web. 6 June 2017.
3. “Brain Tumor Statistics.” American Brain Tumor Association. American Brain Tumor Association, n.d. Web. 06 June 2017.
