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Polyphenols and the Ageing Process
Polyphenols are a broad class of antioxidants including flavonoids and catechins which are found in red wine, chocolate, tea and many other foods. Antioxidants help slow the ageing process. Olives are high in polyphenols. These substances are water soluble so are mostly found in the waste water after olive processing. The levels are so high that they represent one of the biggest problems in disposing of olive waste. The phenols have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial activities so can disturb normal wetland or treatment pond ecology. The oil retains a small amount of the polyphenols. The altitude of the olive grove and the ripeness of the fruit help determine the exact type of polyphenols. Some of these acids are destroyed during olive ripening while other ones increase. Overall there is no difference in the quantity of phenols between green semi-black and ripe olives. Oil made from green olives will give a lower yield but seems to have the most favorable type of polyphenols as the shelf life is considerably longer. Oil from green olives is frequently mixed with oil from mature olives to extend its shelf life. Some of the polyphenols such as hydroxytyrosol have been found in higher concentrations in good quality oils while tyrosol and some other phenolic acids are found in poor quality oils. The difference between virgin and extra virgin is the acid content and organoleptic properties such as taste, so undoubtedly extra virgin has different polyphenols than virgin but as before the total amount of polyphenols are probably the same. Producers are just now looking into creating health products based on the olive water. See the article on the Santa Barbara Olive Company's health products in the February Issue this year - 5/2000
Reproduction of articles: Copyright 11/05/07 The Olive Oil Source. All rights reserved for all countries. Content from this site may be reproduced with attribution and hyperlink to The Olive Oil Source.
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Questions from the Mail bag |
Can Olive Oil (cold press) be used topically on the skin?
But of course! The ancient Greeks used to bathe with oil, using a special scraper to take off the excess. Barring allergies, most vegetable oils are compatible with the skin. To moisturize dry skin, apply it daily directly to dry spots and stretch marks. You're not going to be using that much so use the best olive oil; extra virgin. Pure and Light olive oil has been chemically processed, avoid it.
Make a face mask with olive oil and a good quality of clay mud or avocado. Leave for 5-10 minutes, then rinse
Where else is olive oil used?
Lip balm, shampoo, bath oils, hand lotions, soap, soak for nails, massage oil, dandruff treatment, etc. Soaking fingernails in warm olive oil will soften cuticles and help brittle nails become more resilient.
Can olive oil help relieve sunburn?
Olive Oil contains polyphenol compounds that act as antioxidants to help prevent and repair damage to the skin done by accidental sun exposure. The skin damage is related to the destructive activity of free oxygen related radicals produced by skin cells. Polyphenolic components of olive oil have been compared to traditional antioxidants, such as tocopherols, used by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry to prevent skin damage. Results show polyphenols as having the highest activity as radical scavengers.
There are mentions in Greek texts about the protective effect of olive oil, a commonly used skin conditioner at the time. A few small scientific studies support this. Warning: this does not imply that it is safe to apply olive oil then suntan. No matter what you put on your skin, sun exposure will eventually age and damage the skin. Avoiding the sun, wearing protective clothing or at least using the newer UVA and UVB sunblocks would be better.
What about eating olive oil to protect yourself from the sun? Eating a sauce made by simmering tomatoes in olive oil has been shown to protect the skin from sunburns, about the same amount as using a sunblock with SPF of 2 or 3. The thinking is that the lycopenes in the tomatoes are taken up by the oil (1).
If eating antioxidants protect you, why not just take vitamins and supplements which are antioxidants? Oddly, several studies show that while a diet rich in foods which contain antioxidants lowers risk of heart disease, just eating the supplements increase risk of heart disease and even skin cancer (2).
(1) BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR ACTION OF NUTRIENTS:
Wilhelm Stahl, Ulrike Heinrich, Sheila Wiseman, Olaf Eichler, Helmut Sies, and
Hagen TronnierDietary Tomato Paste Protects against Ultraviolet Light–Induced
Erythema in Humans J. Nutr., May 2001; 131: 1449 - 1451.
(2) Serge Hercberg, Khaled Ezzedine, Christiane Guinot,
Paul Preziosi, Pilar Galan, Sandrine Bertrais, Carla Estaquio, Serge Briançon,
Alain Favier, Julie Latreille, and Denis Malvy
Antioxidant Supplementation Increases the Risk of Skin Cancers in Women but Not
in Men
J. Nutr. 2007 137: 2098-2105
How is olive oil used to make soap?
Fats or oils are saponified into soap by the addition of lye. Lye, also known as caustic soda is a common ingredient in household products such as paint strippers, drain openers (Drano), etc. The lye is neutralized by the process, just as it is when used to take the peel off of the grapes and peaches in fruit cocktail. Olive Oil and lye is mixed with colors, fragrances and moisturizers such as glycerin. Usually a lower grade of olive oil is used, such as pomace oil, for these purposes.
Can olive oil be thickened to use on psoriasis, eczema or dry skin?
You could make an emulsion of water and oil "like mayonnaise" which would thicken and hydrate. Waxes such as beeswax can be added to make more of a liniment or ointment, heat one pint of olive oil with 1 1/2 ounces of beeswax until melted, cool, add more wax if necessary and repeat. Other ingredients used to thicken emollients are agar, a seaweed extract, methyl cellulose or xanthum gums, both plant extracts, and glycerin. They are all edible and used to thicken everything from ice cream to pancake syrup.
A reader asks about Eczema: I have suffered from eczema badly on and off since I was 13 years old. I went to a doctor last year and he prescribed a too strong cortisone to use on my face and the skin has been damaged. Apparently it stops the production of collagen and now I have fine wrinkles on the outer side of my eyes and the forehead skin has thinned badly as well. I have recently been trying many oils to try to rejuvenate my skin tissue again but alas seem to have terrible reactions and bad flare ups after using them. but I've been trying the cold pressed olive oil and putting it in my aqueous cream and I'm glad to say that I'm not allergic to it! Would you be able to tell me if maybe I could get some degree of collagen regeneration back to my skin?
Dr. Deane Replies: Olive Oil is a mild oil and of course has been used for thousands of year on the skin. We sell organic extra virgin oil to many "natural" and "organic" cosmetic manufacturers. Few people seem to be allergic to olive oil.
As for the collagen, I do not know of any substances which can really "rebuild" collagen. As you age the collagen fibers become thinner and less plentiful. Sun exposure and strong steroids can speed up this process. Hopefully in the future we will find something to counteract the effects of gravity and ageing in the skin.
CN asks about Eczema: I am seeking a natural remedy for a skin disorder which plagues my body. I have what the doctor biopsied and called eczema. So…eczema is my infliction and it is ugly. The subscribed medication is a gel base with a cortisone additive. I feel like I am always greasy and worry about the impact of so much cortisone.
Dr Deane responds: Moisturizers can be an important part of treating eczema. Many types of natural oils have been used successfully for eczema, such as coal tar, and vegetable oils like olive oil. It wouldn't hurt to try olive oil. Steroid anti-inflammatory creams work best for most people. Don't confuse the minimal long term effects of steroids used on the skin compared to the major side effects of steroids taken by mouth. Unless you are using the steroid cream over extensive areas of the body, you are absorbing little of it.
Links:
The American Academy of Dermatologists - Moisturizing for eczema
The American Academy of Dermatologists - Diet for eczema
Anthony asks: As a moisturizer is there a particular type of olive oil that should be used? For example: virgin, extra virgin, extra light etc
Dr. Deane Replies: You're not going to be using that much so use the best olive oil; extra virgin. Pure and Light olive oil may have been chemically processed.
Joan writes: Check out our web page at www.headliceinfo.com. Don't laugh but we teach people how to get rid of head lice using olive oil. Check out our book and video, both called, "Head Lice to Dead Lice" at Amazon.com. There are links at our web site.
Michelle asks:
Over the past 5 years my scalp has been abused by chemicals (perms), and my nerves has caused baldness. I have been washing my hair regularly and treating my scalp with virgin olive oil. As a result hair is growing in the bald area. Will the use of olive oil clog my pores? By the way I am a 38 year old female who's parents and grandparents have a no history of balding. My dermatologist told me that chemicals and nerves are the cause of my baldness. To date I have stopped using perms and wash my hair regularly, deep conditioning my scalp and use virgin olive oil as a moisturizer for the scalp and hair.Dr. Deane Responds: Olive oil has been used for thousands of years on human skin and does not typically cause clogging of pores. I am glad that your hair is returning and would like to credit the olive oil. I think it may be treating the chemical induced scalp irritation caused by your perms. The most common cause of balding is heredity, which causes the typical male pattern balding in men and a more diffuse thinning of the hair in women. I have never seen any science which suggests that olive oil would help hereditary balding. Hair dye and perm chemicals can also cause balding and a flaking and irritation of the scalp. This type of balding may be partially reversible with a mild emollient like olive oil and discontinuation of the chemicals.
Z.P. from South Africa writes:
In the Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, Most Merciful 1400 years ago,
the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) advised his followers
to apply olive oil to their bodies, and himself use to be seen with a lot
of oil on his head. Since many of his advises are tallying with medical
science, I would like to know the effect of applying olive oil on the
head? For eg. Does it have a heating effect on the head or a cooling one?
OOS responds: The use of oil is found
in many religions and cultures. It has been used during special
ceremonies and also as a general health measure. During baptism in the
Christian church, holy oil, which is often olive oil, may be used for
anointment. At the Chrism mass olive oil blessed by the bishop, "chrism",
is used in the ceremony. Like the grape, the Christian missionaries
brought the olive tree with them to California for food but also for
ceremonial use. Olive oil was used to anoint the early kings of the
Greeks and Jews. The Greeks anointed winning athletes and as you say, it
is used in the Muslim religion. Olive oil has also been used to anoint
the dead in many cultures.
It has also been used for every day health measures. The Greeks used oil
to clean their bodies. In lieu of soap, at the baths, olive oil was
applied to the body then scraped off with special tools. In the time of
Muhammad, putting oil on the hair may have been considered a health
measure as it discouraged lice and seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff). I
don't think it would have had either a cooling or heating effect on the
head. Olive oil on the body may help prevent dry skin conditions and
eczema and is a mild antibacterial agent just as natural skin oils are.