The Study
Extra virgin olive oil phenolic extracts counteract the pro-oxidant effect of dietary oxidized lipids in human intestinal cells.
This study looked at what happens to lab-grown gut cells when they're treated with olive oil chemicals and then exposed to harmful substances. It shows that the olive oil chemicals might help protect the cells, but it doesn’t prove this would happen in real people or that eating olive oil would have the same effect.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at how helpful stuff in olive oil (called phenols) can protect tiny gut cells when they meet bad, damaged fats.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 54 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This suggests that olive oil phenols might help protect our gut cells when we eat foods with damaged fats, which could be good for long-term health.
- 2The phenols from olive oil reduced signs of cell damage like rust inside cells (ROS), loss of protective molecules (glutathione), and damaged fats.
- 3One type (Bosana) worked better against one kind of damage (from TBH), but both types worked the same against damaged cholesterol-like fats (oxysterols).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
Year
2016
Authors
A. Incani, G. Serra, A. Atzeri, M. P. Melis, G. Serreli, G. Bandino, P. Sedda, M. Campus, C. Tuberoso, M. Deiana
Related Content
Claims (4)
If your food has bad fats, your body uses up its antioxidants fighting those instead of using them to protect your cells and help you live longer.
Olive oil has natural chemicals called phenols that might help protect your gut cells from damage caused by unhealthy fats in food.
Certain damaged fats in food can harm gut cells by causing stress and damage, like rusting from inside the cells.
Bosana olive oil extract seems to protect gut cells from damage better than another type of olive oil extract, probably because of the powerful natural antioxidants it contains.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.