Oleocanthal, Cancer and Alzheimer’s — in Mice
In 2017, researchers at the University of Louisiana-Monroe linked olive oil’s peppery compound, oleocanthal, to cancer and Alzheimer’s prevention — in mice. Fascinating work, with one big caveat.
What was studied
The team reported that oleocanthal — the sting in fresh extra virgin — helped prevent breast cancer and Alzheimer’s in mouse models, with a stronger effect the earlier it was introduced. They also found oleocanthal content varies hugely between oils, from about 30 to 1,200 mg/kg.
Let me be plain, because this is the kind of story that does harm mis-told: these results are in mice, not people. “Oleocanthal helps a mouse” is a world away from “olive oil cures cancer,” and it never meant the latter. The honest, useful part: the protective compound is the same peppery, throat-catching stuff that lives in fresh oil and fades with age — and varies 40-fold between bottles. Buy fresh, real, peppery oil. See is olive oil a superfood?
Source, 2017: Olive Oil Times (mouse-model research, University of Louisiana-Monroe).