By Spring Lin
“Cancer” is one of the main causes of death in human beings, and the age of contracting the disease is decreasing year by year, but the medical community still has not yet found an effective treatment method. Studies have found that olive oil not only has the effect of preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and anti-oxidation but also contains a special compound that can make cancer cells die quickly without harming normal cells. The latest Harvard study also confirms that people who consume more than 7 grams (0.25 ounce) of olive oil per day exhibit a significantly lower risk of death.
A study published in the journal “Molecular and Cellular Oncology” by Rutgers University’s School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and Hunter College of the City University of New York pointed out that one component in olive oil, “oleocanthal,” can make cancer cells die within one hour.
One of the authors of the study, Paul Breslin, an American nutritionist, explained how the mechanism works. He said that “oleocanthal” can puncture the organelles “lysosomes” in cancer cells, which will enlarge in the cancer cells and also contains more waste. When the enzymes in lysosomes are subsequently released, they break down the organic material needed for life, causing the cancer cells to die from a lack of nutrients.
This phenomenon occurs in various cancer cell types observed by the team.
The team also found that “oleocanthal” did not damage healthy cells but just put them into a dormant state and reactivated them after about 24 hours with no negative effects.
Breslin said that the current treatment of cancer is still based on traditional means such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and therapeutic targeted drugs. The study found that consuming enough olive oil can effectively kill cancer cells and contribute to good health, which may provide another possibility for effective cancer treatment.
In addition, a recent Harvard University study also confirmed similar findings. Compared with those who never consumed olive oil, people who consumed more than seven grams of olive oil per day had a 19 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease death, a 17 percent lower risk of cancer death, and a 17 percent lower risk of neurological death. On top of that there is also a 29 percent lower risk of death from degenerative diseases and an 18 percent lower risk of respiratory death.
