GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
A staple of folk medicine for centuries, olive
leaves have been used for tea or chopped up as a salad ingredient. Olive leaf extract is now
recognized for its ability to fight viral and bacterial infections. The plant chemical
oleuropein is the source of olive leaf
The types of food eaten in an effort to cut down on saturated fat may make a difference in reducing heart disease risk, according to a study of people with either high blood pressure or prehypertension. The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a part of the National Institutes of Health.
A naturally occurring chemical found in extra-virgin olive oils is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, report scientists from the Monell Chemical Senses Center and collaborators. Named oleocanthal by the researchers, the compound inhibits activity of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, a pharmacological action shared by ibuprofen. The finding is significant because inflammation increasingly is believed to play a key role in a variety of chronic diseases.
Restricting the amount of yeast in the diet can increase life expectancy by 50%, research into fruit flies has shown. It is not yet clear whether the same might be true in humans. But the authors say their findings hint it might be what you eat rather than total calorie intake that influences longevity, contrary to current belief. he University College London team told PLoS Biology how it could be down to metabolic pathways triggered by foods.
WASHINGTON - Food containing olive oil can carry labels saying it may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, the government says, citing limited evidence from a dozen scientific studies about the benefits of monounsaturated fats.
As long as people don't increase the number of calories they consume daily, the Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) confirmed a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease when people replace foods high in saturated fat with the monounsaturated fat in olive oil.
In the early 1990s, anti-aging doctors coined the buzz-term, 'smart drug.' Somewhat of a misnomer, 'smart drug' connotes those agents, of a pharmaceutical, nutrient, or botanical origin
Results of a recent study suggest that antioxidant compounds present in red wine, tea, and some fruit and vegetables could help to prevent prostate cancer. Spanish researchers found that five polyphenol compounds called gallic acid, tannic acid, morin, quercetin and rutin, stopped prostate cancer cells from proliferating and encouraged them to commit suicide - a cellular process called apoptosis.
