Top-quality olive oil 'like painkilling drug'

Lori · Veteran Joined: 23 Jul 2005 Posts: 508

A new reason for buying the best olive oil is that newly pressed extra-virgin olive oil contains a compound that mimics the pain-relieving activity of ibuprofen, a member of the class of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
The scientists have discovered olive oil contains the compound oleocanthal which suppresses the same pain pathway as ibuprofen.
The research was started because of the personal experience of one of the scientist who had felt the same irritation of the back throat from the newly-pressed olive oil as he once had from ibuprofen.
It is said that the compounds are not structurally similar but pharmacologically they are. The researchers calculated that a 50g daily dose of olive oil is equivalent to about 10 % of the dose of ibuprofen recommended for adult pain relief.
Although it is known that it won't cure a headache, regular consumption of olive oil could confer some of the long-term benefits of ibuprofen - such as reduced cancer risk.

Top-quality olive oil 'like painkilling drug'

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