Olive oil is not only great for the heart, but also for the
stomach.
This Spanish study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and
Food Chemistry showed that extra-virgin olive oil not only can prevent the formation, but can also cure infections caused by
bacteria Heliobacter pylori, which annually causes millions of cases of
gastritis and development of
peptic ulcer (boil).
Olive oil is unique by its composition and is one of the few edible oils with such a high proportion of polifenol ingredients, however, unlike some other foods ( wine, green tea, cranberry juice ...) that inhibit the growth of
H. pylori, until now such antibacterial properties with olive oil have not been questioned.
Preliminary results of laboratory tests showed that the
antioxidant or polifenole components of olive oils act effectively (antibacterial) against some
bacteria H. pylori, even in strongly acid conditions of
gastric juice. More precisely, olive oil has an
antibacterial effect on eight sorts of
H. pylori, from which the three are resistant to the effect of antibiotics. These results open the possibility that the extra-virgin olive oil could be used as a chemo protective mean in the treatment of
ulcer, and even
stomach cancer, but its bio activity should be more confirmed in the future in the terms "in vivo", in human clinical studies, the researchers said. If further studies also confirm the results, the introduction of olive oil in the diet could help in treatment and prevention of the formation of
stomach ulcer.
Regardless of the results of future studies, the
healing power of olive oil is indisputable. Attractive and unique flavor of olive oil is unavoidable in all the dishes of Mediterranean climate and the mineral substances have preventive effects against development of cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis, some types of cancer, bile stones, which are more than sufficient reasons to include it frequently to our
daily diet. And especially the local, cold compressed!