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A recent study has found an effective way to lower blood cholesterol levels naturally. Chinese researchers reported that oleanolic acid, a triterpenoid compound found in olives (Olea europaea), can reduce a person’s risk of developing fatty liver disease.

Olives and the oil extracted from them are well-known staples of the Mediterranean diet. But what many people don’t know is that these nutritious drupes are also used in traditional Chinese medicine. In fact, oleanolic acid from olives has been used in China as a liver-protective medicine since the 1970s.

Besides protecting the liver from injury caused by inflammation, earlier studies also suggest that oleanolic acid is effective against hyperlipidemia. Hyperlipidemia, also known as high cholesterol, is a condition found in one out of three adults in the US. People with hyperlipidemia have higher-than-normal cholesterol levels in their blood, which puts them at risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease. Hyperlipidemia can be caused by different factors, such as obesity, poor diet, smoking and genetics.

How olives help in improving cholesterol levels

In a study published in the Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines, Dr. Jun Liu and her team built on their previous findings which showed that oleanolic acid can improve hyperlipidemia in animals. They conducted a small-scale clinical trial to see if the compound has a similar effect in humans. Liu and her team gave hyperlipidemic patients oleanolic acid in tablet form. They then collected blood samples before and after the treatments and conducted DNA microarray analysis.

The researchers found that there was a significant decrease in the total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) content of the patients’ serum after oleanolic acid treatment. They also observed a significant change in the expression of 21 mRNAs (DNA transcription products) involved in the metabolism of lipids. Out of the 21 mRNAs, they found that 17 had increased expression while expression of the remaining four decreased. Further analysis confirmed the changes in the expression levels of these genes after oleanolic acid treatment.

“Therefore, OA [oleanolic acid] administration differentially regulated the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism,” the researchers wrote in their paper. “The data showed a clinical evidence that OA could improve hyperlipidemia and also unveiled a new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the pharmacological effect of OA on hyperlipidemia.”

More reasons to eat olives

Besides benefiting from their anti-hyperlipidemic properties, introducing olives into your diet will also provide you with plenty of other health benefits. These include:

• Lowering your risk of cancer – Olives are rich in anti-cancer agents like the phenolic compounds squalene and terpenoids. It is believed that these compounds are the main reasons why the Mediterranean region – where olives are a staple – has one of the lowest cancer rates in the world.
• Strengthening your bones – The active compounds in olives can keep your bones from losing bone mass. It is for this reason that eating olives is said to decrease the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis.
• Preventing diabetes – The high levels of healthy monounsaturated fats in olives can help slow down the absorption of blood glucose. This, in turn, helps prevent diabetes complications.
• Improving your eyesight – Olives contain high levels of vitamin A, a nutrient known for improving eyesight. Olives are also rich in antioxidants that can keep macular degeneration and cataract formation at bay.

Sources:

ScienceDirect.com

MedicalNewsToday.com

Healthline.com

NaturalFoodSeries.com