Olive oil just keeps looking better and better. Its phytonutrients are believed to work against breast cancer cells. Research suggests that olive oil may combat depression. And now it seems that its phenolic compounds can repress genes associated with inflammation.
This looks very useful in dealing with metabolic syndrome which is linked to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high glucose levels. Metabolic syndrome is associated with too much belly fat, heart disease and type 2 diabetes and can be fatal.
"Research published in the journal BMC Genomics investigated changes in genes mediated by olive oil phenols (which are most abundant in the extra-virgin varieties of olive oil). The double-blind, randomized study, headed by Francisco Perez-Jimenez from the University of Cordoba, involved 20 research subjects, all with metabolic syndrome."
The high phenolic content in olive oil was seen to influence 100 genes. Many of these genes are linked to heart disease, high levels of blood fat, obesity and type 2 diabetes. These research results highlight the positive health impact of olive oil.
http://www.naturalnews.com/029294_olive_oil_inflammation.html