Thanks to its high polyphenolic content, Organic Piano Oil is rich in oleocanthal, making it a nutraceutical.
Extra virgin olive oil is the prince of the Mediterranean diet and for this reason it has been the subject of numerous researches and studies to identify what characteristics it possesses to keep those who use it healthy.
In particular, one of its ingredients that is being studied in depth is Oleocanthal, a natural phenolic compound found exclusively in quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil such as ours, which has a high polyphenol content, and which is responsible for its spicy flavour.
Effects on health
Studies conducted so far have indicated that it acts just like common non-steoroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX), an enzyme that plays a pivotal role in inflammatory mechanisms.
In addition, researchers have verified that it inhibits the ADDLS protein, which damages cells in the brain, heart, lungs and other important organs, with devastating effects on elderly individuals, as it is also one of the main causes of Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition to these properties, US researchers have now made a further discovery. Their studies show that Oleocanthal can kill varieties of cancer cells without harming healthy ones.
Oleocanthal punctures microvesicles inside cancer cells that store the cell’s own waste.
These microvesicles (lysosomes), which contain a number of enzymes capable of degrading all types of biological polymers, are larger in cancer cells than in healthy ones, and contain a lot of waste.
Oleocanthal, the researchers found, does not harm healthy cells, merely temporarily halting their life cycle.
To verify that this compound was indeed responsible for the pungent taste of the condiment, the researchers tested different qualities of olive oil and found that the higher the Oleocanthal content in each, the stronger the pungent taste of the oil.
The more bitter, the spicier the extra virgin oil, the better for its positive effects on human health.