Based on a review of 37 scientific studies, the phenols in extra virgin olive oil （EVOO）may help prevent bone mass loss. There is already evidence that Mediterranean-eating communities have a decreased incidence of osteoporosis and fractures. A large cohort research of 188,795 people from 8 European nations found in 2013 that subjects who adhered to the Mediterranean diet more closely had a decreased incidence of hip fractures.
Another research looked at the relationship between olive oil consumption and bone health in 3 groups of senior men over 2 years. Their Mediterranean diets contained at least 50 ml of virgin olive oil or 30 g of mixed nuts per day, whereas the 3rd group followed a low-fat Mediterranean diet. At the end of the trial, the researchers discovered that only the group that consumed more olive oil had higher levels of blood osteocalcin and procollagen I N -terminal propeptide procollagen, both of which are linked with bone health benefits.
Additionally, there is a link between monounsaturated fatty acid consumption and bone mineral density. According to one study, the incidence of fractures is lower in Greece, where olive oil is the primary source of monounsaturated fatty acids, than in the United States and North European nations.
Extra virgin olive oil includes a high concentration of phenols, which give health advantages such as protection against cardiovascular disease, some malignancies, and the ageing process. According to the findings of 2014 review paper published in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, virgin olive oil phenols may also have a role in osteoporosis prevention.
Oleuropein, a significant phenolic component of olive oil, may reduce bone loss linked with osteoporosis and ageing by enhancing osteoblast (bone-forming cell) creation from bone marrow stem cells and lowering fat cell development. Oleuropein protected against bone loss in animal experiments by reducing inflammation-induced osteopenia.
Studies on human bone marrow stem cells revealed that oleuropein might prevent age-related bone loss and osteoporosis. Another study on mouse bone marrow cells suggests that oleuropein and hydoxytyrosol may be useful in lowering osteoporosis symptoms. Other phenols, such as luteolin, may also help to prevent bone loss in postmenopausal osteoporosis by lowering the activity and function of osteoclasts, which are cells that break down bone tissue.
The antioxidant characteristics of phenols, tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol, may promote bone growth, operate as free radical scavengers, and protect bone cells from oxidative damage. Hydroxytyrosol alone increased calcium deposition while inhibiting osteoclast development.
Although laboratory models show that phenols in virgin olive oil help to preserve bone health, clinical research is needed to validate these findings.
All in all, regular use of virgin olive oil appears to be a simple but effective method to avoiding osteoporosis as well as preventing heart diseases and cancer too. Let's start incorporating olive oil into your diet today.
