30 mayo 2024

Oleocanthal. Definition and most important benefits

In oil, the organoleptic characteristics are fundamental to assess the quality of the oil. Beyond the results of a laboratory analysis, the smell and taste of the oil provide us with the necessary information for its categorization: whether it is more green fruity or ripe fruity, whether it has a defect (vinegary or atrophied), etc. One of the most relevant positive attributes, together with sweetness and bitterness, is spiciness. The spiciness can appear in the mouth progressively, from throat to tongue, disappear quickly, etc. The responsible for the spiciness is the oleocanthal and especially highlights varieties such as hojiblanca or picual.

Fuente: Olive oil times

What is oleocanthal

Oleocanthal is an ester or chemical compound present in extra virgin olive oil, derived from oleuropein and is considered a natural “ibuprofen” due to its anti-inflammatory characteristics. The amount of oleocanthal depends on the ripening stage of the olives, being more present in green olives from the first olives harvested. In other words, the presence of oleocanthal in a tasting panel (i.e. spicy flavor) is a guarantee that the extra virgin olive oil is from early harvesting (early harvest) and is therefore a fresher and higher quality product. The main defect of oleocanthal is its vulnerability to light, oxygen and heat, therefore, the olive must be at its youngest and earliest point (within the terms of the harvest) to avoid the disappearance of this compound in the fruit itself.

Chemical structure

As mentioned before, oleocanthal is an ester of tyrosol, a natural phenolic present only in extra virgin olive oil, which is characterized by its antioxidant properties. Oleouropein, as we mentioned before, is a natural anti-inflammatory from which oleocanthal is derived. We can say that these are the main properties of this compound.

Oleocanthal, as well as pharmacological products such as ibuprofen, have the ability to inhibit the same enzyme, cyclooxygenase, and moreover, in greater quantity at the same molecule level.

Properties and benefits

Oleocanthal has natural pharmacological attributes with positive long-term effects, very present in the inhabitants of the Mediterranean, according to studies carried out since its discovery in the 1990s. Among its main benefits are its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, very desirable effects in possible cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's or Alzheimer's) or cancer. We will talk about the latter later. Oleocanthal is also related to the relief of muscle and joint pain and the prevention of rheumatoid arthritis.

Which oil has more oleocanthal

The picual and hojiblanca varieties, as long as they are extra virgin olive oil from early harvesting, are two of the varieties with the highest presence of oleocanthal. The organoleptic characteristics serve in this case as a natural laboratory and provide scientific evidence of the quality of the oil: the presence of spiciness in an oil is a positive attribute that always reflects the presence and quantity of oleocanthal. This attribute is highly valued and recognizable and we associate it with the good taste of a raw extra virgin olive oil.

Relationship between olecanthal and cancer

Oleocanthal has been shown to have a unique natural superpower: it can kill cancer cells and eliminate their waste and leave healthy cells intact, preventing them from reproducing and being contaminated. Oleocanthal has also been shown to be an ideal therapeutic compound for the further treatment of cancers, such as multiple myeloma, the blood cancer, as it eliminates the proliferation of malignant cells.

The next time you taste extra virgin olive oil, whether in a tasting glass, on toast or in a salmorejo, remember that it is not only about flavor and texture, but also about the health you are providing to your body, a natural product that guarantees quality of life, wellbeing and that has been grown and processed very close to you.