IBUPROFEN-LIKE ACTIVITY IN EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL.

A Mediterranean diet, which is rich in olive oil, is believed to confer various health benefits such as lowering your risk of heart disease and cancer. Extra-virgin olive oil contains oleocanthal- a compound whose pungency induces a strong stinging sensation in the throat, not unlike that caused by solutions of the drug ibuprofen. Forty years ago, it was found that the bitterness of certain compounds correlated with their pharmacological activity. On this basis, scientist decided to test whether oleocanthal might mimic the pharmacological effects of ibuprofen, a powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent. Like ibuprofen, oleocanthal caused a dosedependent inhibition of COX-1 and COX-2 activities. COX-1 and COX-2 are enzymes involved in the body’s inflammatory pathway. This discovery offers a possible explanation of the health benefits of olive oil. (Beauchamp, G.K., Keast, R.S.J., et al. “Phytochemistry: Ibuprofen-like activity in extra-virgin olive oil.” Nature. 2005;437:45-46.)