Olive Polyphenols may help block the colon cancer process

The traditional Mediterranean diet represents a healthy lifestyle, especially given that several cancers, including colon cancer is lower in Mediterranean countries compared to Northern Europe. Olive oil is a central component of the Mediterranean diet, and it is believed to affect numerous biological processes. In this study, pre-treating intestinal cells with olive Polyphenols greatly reduced genotoxicity caused by hydrogen peroxide. Genotoxicity is harmful changes to DNA that can form a malignant tumor. Intestinal barrier cells worked much better and highly invasive cancer cells were blocked from invading by the barrier cells. Thus, olive polyphenols inhibit colon carcinogenesis at several stages in vitro. The study was performed at the University of Ulster and is published in the October 20th, 2005 issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

Oleuropein from the olive leaf may be a potent anti-cancer compound

In this study, Oleuropein inhibited the proliferation (creation of new cells) of advanced-grade tumor cells and their migration (part of cancer metastasis). Oleuropein irreversibly affected cancer cells, preventing their replication, ability to move, and ability to invade healthy tissues, however, this effect was reversible in healthy cells. When given orally to mice that developed spontaneous tumors, Oleuropein completely caused regression of tumors by days 9 to 12. The tumors had a crumbly consistency and lacked cohesiveness before day 9 of treatment. No viable cells could be recovered from these tumors. The research is published in the September 2005 issue of the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.

Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.

The wording for the description of Oleuropein's effect on destroying the tumor is the authors and not my own.