A specific type of olive oil from Corfu, Greece, is being studied for its potential to fight colon cancer.
Researchers at Louisiana State University extracted compounds, including pure oleocanthal, from the Lianolia Kerkyras olive oil variety grown in the Agios Matthaios region.
Their study, published in Nutrients, investigated the effects of these extracts on colon cancer, a significant health concern in the US.
The research was inspired by epidemiological studies showing lower colon cancer rates in populations adhering to the Mediterranean diet, where olive oil is a staple. Scientists focused on a particularly aggressive form of colon cancer with limited treatment options, examining the impact of olive oil’s phenolic compounds on laboratory animals.
The results were promising. Both pure oleocanthal and the total phenolic extract, administered orally, reduced tumor size by 72% in just 15 days. Furthermore, after tumor removal, continued treatment for 40 days helped prevent recurrence – a common challenge with this cancer type.
These findings support earlier Greek studies on animals and humans, which also highlighted the protective effects of polyphenol-rich olive oil against various cancers. This growing body of evidence strengthens the case for high-phenolic olive oil as a valuable dietary component for cancer prevention and management and may even lead to the development of pharmaceutical applications for these beneficial compounds.
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Agios Matthaios, cancer prevention, colon cancer, Corfu olive oil, high-phenolic olive oil, Lianolia Kerkyras, Louisiana State University, Mediterranean diet, Nutrients, oleocanthal, pharmaceutical applications, phenolic compounds, tumor recurrence