Can olive oil fight inflammation?
/Still doubt the "inflammation fighting" properties of olive oil? Read this.
A new study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition investigated the effect of "extra virgin oil olive oil" vs. "canola oil" on patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC).
UC is a common inflammation of the digestive system (3 times more common than Chrones' Disease for example).
It causes inflammation in the intestines, causing diarrhoea, cramps, bleeding etc.
It's specific causes are unknown, but we do know that an "over-active immune system" plays a primary role: an "auto-immune condition".
In fact, auto-immune conditions are behind some of the most "modern" diseases, including:
- Rheumatoid arthritis,
- Inflammatory bowel disease,
- Multiple sclerosis,
- Type I Diabetes,
- Chrone's Disease,
- Psoriasis,
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and more.
So anything which can help reduce auto-immune triggered inflammation is great.
In this study (link below): they took patients suffering from UC and split them into 2 groups, and gave them extra virgin olive oil or canola oil for 20 days.
They discovered that in the "extra virgin olive oil" group:
- Inflammation markers (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and hsCRP) were reduced significantly,
- Bloating, constipation, fecal urgency, incomplete defecation were also reduced significantly.
But always be careful with what you buy: there is a lot of "fake" or "mixed" oil sold as "extra virgin olive oil" sold in supermarkets. So always double check and buy from a reputable source.
