Want a Simple Way to Prevent Cancer? Try Olive Oil!

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. A huge number of cancers can be prevented by diet. Could something as simple and tasty as olive oil make a difference?

Olive oil has a very high percentage of monounsaturated fat, which is much better for you than saturated fat.

This systematic review and meta-analysis set out to see if simply using olive oil could reduce your risk of cancer.

The meta-analysis included 45 studies. It found that using higher amounts of olive oil really can reduce your risk of cancer. Compared to the people who used the least olive oil, those who used the most had a 31% lower likelihood of any kind of cancer. That’s a big benefit for a simple, tasty change.

The study also found a 33% lower risk of breast cancer, a 23% lower risk of gastrointestinal cancer, and a 54% lower risk of prostate, bladder and urinary tract cancers. For upper aerodigestive cancers (head and neck), it found a 26% reduction except in esophageal cancer.

This study suggests that simply adding more olive oil to your diet can help prevent cancer.

PLoS One 2024 2022 Jan 11;17(1):e0261649.

 

A New Discovery in Controlling Blood Sugar

Diabetes is on the rise. Healthy diet and lifestyle are key to preventing and treating diabetes. Getting more of this natural antioxidant may help.

Lycopene is a carotene. It is a stronger antioxidant than its more famous cousin, beta-carotene. Lycopene is found abundantly in a number of healthy, red coloured foods like tomato, pink grapefruit, watermelon, papaya, guava and apricots.

Lycopene is best known for its benefits for prostate cancer. But this new systematic review and meta-analysis establishes lycopene as an important supplement for diabetes.

The meta-analysis included 10 studies with a total of 750 people. Most of the studies used lycopene supplements or tomato extracts. Some used tomato juice or tomato rich diets. The meta-analysis found a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose in the lycopene group. It also found a significant improvement in fasting blood glucose in the two studies that included only people with type 2 diabetes.

This study suggests that increasing your intake of lycopene can help lower fasting blood sugar, especially in people with type 2 diabetes who need it most.

Nutrients. 2023 Jan;15(1):122.

 

Now Hear This! Ginkgo for Sudden Hearing Loss

Sudden hearing loss is a surprisingly common kind of nerve deafness. It can be caused by a viral infection, immune problem, circulatory problem or inflammatory injury to the ear. If left untreated, hearing loss can become permanent.

A new meta-analysis of 27 controlled studies compared general treatment to general treatment with the addition of Ginkgo biloba.

The addition of ginkgo significantly improved the effective rate and the cure rate, suggesting that ginkgo “may be a perfect complementary and alternative therapy strategy.”.

Pharm Biol. 2023;61(1):610–620.