Protective Effects and Benefits of Olive Oil and Its Extracts on Women’s Health

Abstract

Women and men share similar diseases; however, women have unique issues, including gynecologic diseases and diseases related to menstruation, menopause, and post menopause. In recent decades, scientists paid more attention to natural products and their derivatives because of their good tolerability and effectiveness in disease prevention and treatment. Olive oil is an essential component in the Mediterranean diet, a diet well known for its protective impact on human well-being. Investigation of the active components in olive oil, such as oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, showed positive effects in various diseases. Their effects have been clarified in many suggested mechanisms and have shown promising results in animal and human studies, especially in breast cancer, ovarian cancer, postmenopausal osteoporosis, and other disorders. This review summarizes the current evidence of the role of olives and olive polyphenols in women’s health issues and their potential implications in the treatment and prevention of health problems in women.

An aqueous olive leaf extract (OLE) ameliorates parameters of oxidative stress associated with lipid accumulation and induces lipophagy in human hepatic cells

“…44 Recent epidemiological and experimental studies described the beneficial effects of oleuropein derived from olive trees on different diseases. 45 However, it must be considered that oleuropein is the main precursor of hydroxytyrosol, to which numerous positive effects have also been attributed. 46 The antioxidant properties of the products and by-products of olive leaf extracts have been clearly demonstrated, and the most potent scavenger actions against superoxide anion and other reactive species have been demonstrated for oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol.…”

A Status Review on Health-Promoting Properties and Global Regulation of Essential Oils

“…EOs have bioactive compounds, which endow them with various beneficial properties [ 6 ]. Recently, Eos and their derivatives have gained attention due to their good tolerability and effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of diseases, including cancer and the metabolic syndrome, in both animal and human studies [ 7 ]. For instance, lavender EO has a highly anti-cancer and anti-mutagenic effect on HepG2 and A549 human cell lines [ 8 ].…”

Olive juice dry extract containing hydroxytyrosol, as a nontoxic and safe substance: Results from pre-clinical studies and review of toxicological studies

“…In the past few years, the beneficial effects of minor components of olives and olive oil have raised a growing interest, in particular hydrophilic phenolics of the unsaponifiable fraction [7] , [8] . Many health benefits, including a decrease in cardiovascular risk factors [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , hypoglycemic effects [13] , reduction in the development of neurodegenerative diseases [14] and cancers [15] , [16] , an improvement in women-specific health issues [17] , and thyroid-modulating activity [18] have been proposed to be attributed to this fraction. Among these phenolic compounds, secoiridoids are the most abundant in extra virgin olive oil [6] .…”