Share

Virgin olive oil fights clots

Eating foods prepared with olive oils that are rich in phenols, substances thought to have beneficial effects on the heart, may help ward off harmful blood clots in people with high cholesterol, Spanish researchers report.

"Our findings provide new evidence of the healthy effects of virgin olive oil," Dr Francisco Perez-Jimenez of Reina Sofia University Hospital in Cordoba and colleagues conclude.

In the early stages of atherosclerosis, the balance between clot-promoting and clot-dissolving factors in the blood vessels shifts in favour of clot formation, and having high levels of fat in the blood can worsen this imbalance, Perez-Jimenez and his team explain in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Phenols fight clotting
Olive oil contains phenols, which have been shown to fight clotting in lab tests, but few studies of their effects have been performed in humans, the researchers note.

To investigate, the researchers had 21 people with high cholesterol eat two different breakfasts. For one week, they consumed either white bread with virgin olive oil containing 400 parts per million phenols, or white bread with olive oil from which much of the phenols had been extracted, leaving it with 80 parts per million. Study participants were then switched to the opposite meal.

Two hours after the high-phenol meal, study participants' concentrations of factor VII-antigen, which promotes blood clotting, were lower compared with the low-phenol group. The high-phenol group also experienced a greater drop in the activity of another clot promoter, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1.

Results inconsistent
The researchers suggest that previous studies that have yielded inconsistent results regarding olive oil's effect on the blood may have been due to variations in phenol content.

"Although this study deals with the micro-components of virgin olive oil, we should still think in terms of evaluating the biological properties of complete foods," the researches add.

With this in mind, they conclude that the current study supports the heart health benefits of virgin olive oil. - (Reuters Health)

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2007.

Read more:
Benefits of olive oil examined
Olive oil lowers blood pressure

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE