Originally published September 19 2005
Olive oil can substitute for ibuprofen as effective painkiller
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Some forms of pressed olive oil contain fatty acids that work similar to ibuprofen as potent painkillers, researchers say.
The throat-stinging squeezings of the pulped olive --- the only vegetable oil that can be consumed without processing --- contains a compound that has the same pain-relieving effect as ibuprofen, scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia reported in research published in the journal Nature.
The discovery of a natural anti-inflammatory agent in extra virgin olive oil offers a reliable biochemical insight into the well-documented but puzzling health benefits of a Mediterranean diet, which appears to lower the risk of cancer, heart ailments and some chronic diseases even though it is high in fat and salt.
In the kitchen of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, where chefs drizzle, dip and splash $10,000 worth of Tuscan extra virgin olive oil every month, and the chic corporate corridors of Gourmet in New York, this newest finding about the pharmacology of food prompted bemused looks, skepticism and more than one deeply satisfied smile.
"But it does seem strange that there would be whole cultures of people eating an anti-inflammatory all the time."
However, only the freshest --- and usually most expensive --- olive oil has significant amounts of the pungent compound, called oleocanthal, the researchers said.
The highest levels are found in the olives grown in Tuscany and the lowest in many California olive groves.
As gourmet estate oils have become a connoisseur's collectible in recent years, however, some Northern California growers have established groves of Italian olive trees that appear to yield high amounts of oleocanthal in their oil, the researchers said.
"When we checked the pharmacology, it was identical to ibuprofen," said Monell researcher Paul Breslin, an expert in the psycho-physics of food who helped lead a team of scientists that spent two years investigating this chemical property of olive oil.
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