Olive Oil Extract Appears to Benefit Diabetes, Obesity
Lee Swanson Research Updat
An extract from extra-virgin olive oil may stimulate the function of mitochondria in cells and prevent diseases associated with dysfunction like diabetes and obesity, according to recent research.
Results of a cell study indicate that the hydroxytyrosol found in extra-virgin olive oil may influence gene expression, which would influence mitochondrial function. The mitochondria are the "power plants" of the cell, generating chemical energy by producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s energy currency.
"We investigated effects of hydroxytyrosol that stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis and promote mitochondrial function in [fat cells]," according to Dr. Jiankang Liu, corresponding author of the study.
"Because mitochondrial loss and dysfunction are closely related with obesity and diabetes, these results suggest that supplementing with olive oil and/or hydroxytyrosol may have a beneficial effect on preventing obesity and diabetes," he said.
The results of the study are published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.
"As is known very well, the Mediterranean diet has been associated with a lower incidence of certain cancers and of cardiovascular disease, which is the most common and serious complication of diabetes," Dr. Liu, from the University of Kentucky and the Jiaotong University School of Life Science in Xian, said. "Olive oil is the principle source of fats in the Mediterranean diet and hydroxytyrosol is considered to be one of the most potent determinants of its efficacy."
"We hypothesized that the Mediterranean diet or supplementation with hydroxytyrosol could stimulate mitochondrial function and prevent diabetes and obesity-related mitochondrial dysfunction, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease," he added.
Using mouse-derived fat cells (adipocytes), the researchers tested the effects of different concentrations of hydroxytyrosol ranging from 0.1 to 10 micromoles per liter, on the expression of proteins linked to mitochondrial function.
"In the present study, we showed that hydroxytyrosol over the concentration range of 0.1-10 micromoles per liter stimulated the protein expression of [peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor (PPAR) coactivator 1 alpha (PPARGC1-alpha)]—the central factor for mitochondrial biogenesis," wrote the researchers. "We showed that hydroxytyrosol is a nutrient that effectively stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and function," they added.
"This mitochondrial targeting property may provide a possible mechanism for the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and also suggests that hydroxytyrosol may be used as a therapeutic intervention for preventing […] type 2 diabetes and obesity," they concluded.
Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry Published online ahead of print.