Lee Swanson Research Update

Olive Oil Extract Shows Brain-protecting Benefits

August 2010

An olive oil extract rich in hydroxytyrosol may protect neurons in the brain from the normal deterioration associated with aging, a new study suggests.

Hydroxytyrosol was found to protect brain cells from the detrimental effects of oxidative stress when exposed to ferrous iron. It may also offer a neuroprotective ingredient to slow the decline in cognitive performance that occurs naturally with age, according to findings published in Pharmacological Research.

Hydroxytyrosol is thought to be the main antioxidant compound in olives and believed to play a significant role in the many health benefits attributed to olive oil. Previous research has linked the compound to cardiovascular benefits, with reductions in LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Data has also suggested the compound may boost eye health and reduce the risk of macular degeneration.

Researchers from the University of Frankfurt tested the efficacy of a hydroxytyrosol-rich extract in vitro on cells exposed to both oxidative and nitrosative stress. Cells were exposed to the hydroxytyrosol-rich ingredient and then subjected to stress.

Results showed that the olive oil compound reduced the cell-damaging effects of the oxidative and nitrosative stress in a dose-dependent manner, with higher doses providing increased protection.

Furthermore, the effects appeared to be related to the hydroxytyrosol content of the extract, the researchers said.

"With respect to hydroxytyrosol, its incorporation into LDL—which [is] transported into the brain—might provide a physiological route for hydroxytyrosol to enter brain cells," the researchers added.

Pharmacological Research 62(4):322-327, 2010