Waterman Emily, Lockwood Brian
Leeds General Hospital, Leeds, UK.
Altern Med Rev. 2007 Dec;12(4):331-42.
The olive tree, Olea europaea, is native to the Mediterranean basin and parts of Asia Minor. The fruit and compression-extracted oil have a wide range of therapeutic and culinary applications. Olive oil also constitutes a major component of the "Mediterranean diet." The chief active components of olive oil include oleic acid, phenolic constituents, and squalene. The main phenolics include hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, and oleuropein, which occur in highest levels in virgin olive oil and have demonstrated antioxidant activity. Antioxidants are believed to be responsible for a number of olive oil's biological activities. Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, has shown activity in cancer prevention, while squalene has also been identified as having anticancer effects. Olive oil consumption has benefit for colon and breast cancer prevention. The oil has been widely studied for its effects on coronary heart disease (CHD), specifically for its ability to reduce blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Antimicrobial activity of hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, and oleuropein has been demonstrated against several strains of bacteria implicated in intestinal and respiratory infections. Although the majority of research has been conducted on the oil, consumption of whole olives might also confer health benefits.
油橄榄树，即油橄榄（Olea europaea），原产于地中海盆地和小亚细亚部分地区。其果实和压榨提取的油具有广泛的治疗和烹饪用途。橄榄油也是“地中海饮食”的主要组成部分。橄榄油的主要活性成分包括油酸、酚类成分和角鲨烯。主要酚类物质包括羟基酪醇、酪醇和橄榄苦苷，它们在初榨橄榄油中含量最高，并已显示出抗氧化活性。抗氧化剂被认为是橄榄油多种生物活性的原因。油酸是一种单不饱和脂肪酸，已显示出预防癌症的活性，而角鲨烯也被确定具有抗癌作用。食用橄榄油对预防结肠癌和乳腺癌有益。该油对冠心病（CHD）的影响已得到广泛研究，特别是其降低血压和低密度脂蛋白（LDL）胆固醇的能力。羟基酪醇、酪醇和橄榄苦苷对几种与肠道和呼吸道感染有关的细菌菌株已显示出抗菌活性。尽管大多数研究是针对橄榄油进行的，但食用整颗橄榄也可能带来健康益处。
