Virgin olive oil changes gene activity

Previous studies have shown a Mediterranean diet is associated with lower risks of all major diseases, but a small size study published in the open access journal BMC Genomics shed new light on how virgin olive oil influences certain genes that promote inflammation and can lead to heart disease.

Spanish researchers gave 20 volunteers with metabolic syndrome 2 breakfasts containing virgin olive oil with either high or low levels of phenols randomly on 2 separate days with a week apart. Both researchers and participants did not know who had received which breakfast. The researchers then measured the changes in the gene expression after the breakfasts and found that 39 genes are involved in the inflammation process (that has a role in the build-up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels ) and 35 of them were less active after eating the high-phenol virgin olive oil.

The researchers concluded that the study could partly explain why the risk in cardiovascular disease is reduced in Mediterranean countries where the diet is rich in virgin oliver oil.

Critics say that this study helps our understanding of the effect of olive oil on gene activity but it is difficult to confirm that the changes in gene activity is responsible for the reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease. The small size of the study, all participants with metabolic syndrome, gene expression after one meal and the lack of follow up for long-term outcomes are just some of the limitations that may affect the results of the study.

Source : Antonio Camargo, Juan Ruano, Juan M Fernandez, Laurence D Parnell, Anabel Jimenez, Monica Santos-Gonzalez, Carmen Marin, Pablo Perez-Martinez, Marino Uceda, Jose Lopez-Miranda and Francisco Perez-Jimenez. "Gene expression changes in mononuclear cells from patients with metabolic syndrome after acute intake of phenol-rich virgin olive oil". BMC Genomics, 2010

Lifestyle changes may slow prostate cancer

Newspapers reported a small pilot study of 31 men with very low risk prostate cancer that looked at the effects of lifestyle changes on the activity of different genes in prostate tissue.

The participants did not want immediate surgery, hormone therapy, or radiotherapy but agreed to change comprehensive lifestyle including good diet and exercise. By the end of the study, they had reduced BMI, blood pressure, waist size and blood lipids. 48 genes were found more active and 453 genes less active after the intervention. Some of them are related to tumour formation.

Researchers concluded that intensive nutritional and lifestyle changes may change gene activity in the prostate and suggest larger studies to confirm their findings.

Source : "Changes in prostate gene expression in men undergoing an intensive nutrition and lifestyle intervention." Proc Natl Acad Sci 2008; [Published online June 16]