Olive oil reduces the risk of cancer

Olive oil reduces the risk of cancer by a third!

There are many occasions where we have talked about the “power” of olive oil in the prevention of different types of cancer. Now, new research from the University of Athens links olive oil consumption to reducing the risk of suffering from any type of cancer by a third!

The work was based on a systematic review and meta-analysis between olive oil consumption and cancer risk. Thus, the search was carried out on the databases PubMed, EMBASE and Google Scholar (end of search: May 10, 2020). Subgroup, sensitivity and meta-regression analyzes were also performed.

45 studies were included in the meta-analysis, 37 were control cases (17,369 cases and 28,294 controls) and 8 were cohort studies (12,461 incident cases in a total cohort of 929,771 subjects). After the study, it was concluded that a higher consumption of olive oil is associated with a 31% lower risk of suffering cancer, either of the breast, gastrointestinal tract, upper aerodigestive tract and urinary tract.

With modern medicine many people are outliving their brains. So we want people to live longer, but we want them to be able to live longer and have their capacity of their brain and not go into that cognitive decline. There are many factors that go into brain health. Olive oil is one factor, but it tends to be in all the studies that we are seeing that are relative to increased brain health.

Extra virgin olive oil is a critical component of the Mediterranean diet, which studies show is heart healthy and may increase longevity. Regular intake of extra virgin olive oil also appears to improve chronic inflammation and possibly plays a role in the death of cancer cells.

Doctors recommend about 1-3 tablespoons per day. Some ideas include, spritzing it on toast for breakfast or drizzling it over salad. However, you choose to consume it, extra virgin olive oil may do your body good. It’s actually very similar to looking at, a blueberry or looking at broccoli, anything that has abundant color, anything that’s a plant is going to help with cancer prevention and olive oil tends to have a very high capacity of anti-oxidants.

When choosing an extra virgin olive oil, look for a dark bottle and keep it tightly sealed once opened, as light and air can affect taste and quality. Always go with “extra virgin” and remember the fresher the oil, the better.

Antitumor potential of extra virgin olive oil

Researchers at the Castellón Provincial Hospital are leading a pioneering study on the antitumor potential of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), building on successful trials from the University of Córdoba and Universitat Jaume I.

Initial research on colon and breast cancer cells showed that EVOO is highly potent, reducing tumor growth by 30% while selectively leaving healthy cells unharmed. Scientist Raquel Gil Edo is now advancing this work using 3D organoids to better replicate human tissue, focusing specifically on inflammatory markers in breast cancer and testing the oil’s effectiveness against aggressive pancreatic cancer (PDAC).

Ultimately, this interdisciplinary project aims to integrate EVOO into personalized medicine as a standardized preventive and complementary therapy to improve patient outcomes.

Benefits of EVOO in childhood cancer

A collaborative international study has highlighted the significant role of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) in combating neuroblastoma, a common and aggressive form of childhood cancer often resistant to traditional treatments.

The research focuses on two powerful natural compounds found in EVOO, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, which provide a multi-faceted approach to pediatric oncology by strengthening antioxidant defenses and mitigating oxidative cellular damage. Most importantly, these compounds have been shown to trigger apoptosis—programmed cell death—in tumor cells and counteract “tumor dormancy,” a survival mechanism that cancer cells use to resist chemotherapy.

Beyond attacking the cancer itself, these olive oil derivatives serve a protective role by reducing the toxic side effects associated with standard medical interventions, thereby improving the overall quality of life for young patients.

By integrating these natural Mediterranean diet components into clinical care, researchers aim to overcome drug resistance and establish EVOO as a standardized complementary therapy in the fight against pediatric cancer.