Originally published September 14 2005
Olive oil contains pain relief compound
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Olive oil contains a compound that is similar to the pain relieving properties in ibuprofen, a new study shows.
Try some olive oil -- actually, freshly pressed extra-virgin olive oil would be best, according to a group of chemists, who've discovered that it contains a compound that mimics the pain-relieving action of ibuprofen.
According to Breslin and colleagues, oleocanthal in newly pressed extra-virgin olive oil and ibuprofen (in solution) both produce a strong stinging sensation in the throat, an indicator of a "shared pharmacological activity, with oleocanthal acting as a natural anti-inflammatory compound that has a potency and profile strikingly similar to that of ibuprofen."
In tests conducted on different premium olive oils, the chemists found a strong positive link between levels of oleocanthal and its intensity as a throat irritant.
According to the chemists, oleocanthal, like ibuprofen, inhibits so-called COX enzymes in a dose-dependent fashion -- the higher the dose the greater the inhibition.
By their calculations, a 50-gram daily dose of olive oil is equal to about 10 percent of the ibuprofen dose recommended for pain relief in an adult.
So, while it won't cure a headache, regular consumption of olive oil might have some of the long-term health benefits of ibuprofen, researchers say.
The identification of an ibuprofen-like oleocanthal in olive oil also provides a possible explanation for the well known health benefits of an olive oil-rich Mediterranean diet.
"Our findings raise the possibility that long-term consumption of oleocanthal may help to protect against some diseases by virtue of its ibuprofen-like COX-inhibiting activity," Breslin and colleagues write.
For example, it's well known that aspirin, another COX blocker, protects the heart.
Ibuprofen reduces the risk of developing some cancers and also prevents blood platelets from clumping together, which can block arteries.
Ibuprofen has also been shown to reduce levels of an Alzheimer's disease-related protein in mice.
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