Alternative Health Blog

Pass the tapenade. A new study from Spanish researchers shows that olive skins can protect against colon cancer. The key ingredient in olive skins is maslinic acid, which appears to cause death among cancer cells.

Many plants (vegetables and herbs) considered medicinal contain low amounts of maslinic acid, while the skin of olives appears to be highly concentrated—up to 80 percent of its total substances. Scientists at the University of Granada and University of Barcelona found that maslinic acid in the form of an olive-skin pomace resulted in an almost programmable demise for colon-cancer cells during lab tests.

Perhaps not so coincidentally, even more recent Spanish research connects high quality extra-virgin olive oil with reduced breast cancer. Researchers at the Catalan Institute of Oncology and University of Granada found the phenols in olive oil block the genetic development of breast cancer cells in lab samples.

“Our findings reveal for the first time that all the major complex phenols present in extra-virgin olive oil drastically suppress overexpression of the cancer gene HER2 in human breast cancer cells,” says Javier Menendez, a co-author of the study.

Extra-virgin olive oil is made by pressing olives without the use of heat or chemical treatments. The oil used by the scientists was separated into “fractions” to identify which substances are most anti-cancerous. The samples with lignans and secoiridoids proved most effective against HER2 gene cells.

The study authors cautioned that more research is needed to see if lab results can be confirmed and translate to everyday consumption of olive skins and olive oil for fighting cancer cells. But the scientists added it makes sense for “humans to safely ingest” olive skins and olive oil for its health value.

And it doesn’t hurt that a handful of olives in your salad or drizzling olive oil on your baked potato double as such delicious ideas.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.