Olive Oil May Help Insulin Health in Men

by | Apr 5, 2013 | 2013, Cardiovascular Health, Diabetes, Men's Health, Olive & Monosaturated

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In a study of 46 patients that were given olive leaf extract daily for 12 weeks, subjects had a 6.6% increase in insulin sensitivity and a 5.4% increase in ability to stabilize blood sugar and insulin.

Polyphenols are antioxidants found in plants that can help cells fight oxidative stress which may lead to diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease and nerve diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease (1). While popular foods with high levels of polyphenols include chocolate, coffee, green tea, and red wine (2), another food with high levels of polyphenols is olive oil.

Olive oil contains two polyphenols: oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, which have been shown to help maintain healthy blood pressure (3), healthy blood vessels (4) and healthy blood clotting (5). Now a new study (6) suggests the polyphenols in olive oil may help maintain healthy insulin levels, which can help protect against metabolic syndrome which is now regarded as “the driving force” for a new cardiovascular disease epidemic (7).

In the study, 46 patients aged 41 to 51 and having a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 26 and 30 kg/m2 were given either four capsules of olive leaf extract or a placebo once daily for 12 weeks. A BMI of 25 to 30 is considered overweight and 30-35 is moderately obese. They stopped supplementation for 6 weeks (called a “wash out period”) and then switched protocols for another 12 weeks. The four capsules contained equaled a daily dose of 51.1 milligrams of oleuropein and 9.7 milligrams of hydroxytyrosol.

The researchers measured insulin sensitivity through a method called the Matsuda Index (8), with a higher number indicating greater sensitivity. Those in the olive extract group increased their Matsuda index by 6.6% (5.12 to 5.46) compared to a 7.7% decrease in the placebo group (5.12 to 4.73) (p = 0.024). They then looked at the change in blood sugar and insulin levels during the first 30 minutes after taking an oral glucose tolerance test, called an “oral disposition index” and measured the ability of the cells in the pancreas (called beta cells) to stabilize blood sugar and insulin (9). Those in the olive leaf extract group saw a 5.4% increase in the disposition index (5.17 to 5.45) compared to a 17.7% decrease in the placebo group (5.17 to 4.26) (p = 0.013).

For the researchers, “Supplementation with olive leaf polyphenols for 12 weeks significantly improved insulin sensitivity pancreatic beta cells secretory capacity in overweight middle-aged men at risk of developing the metabolic syndrome.”

Source: de Bock, Martin, et al. “Olive (Olea europaea L.) leaf polyphenols improve insulin sensitivity in middle-aged overweight men: a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.” PloS one 8.3 (2013): e57622.

© 2013 de Bock et al. Creative Commons Attribution License, which permitsunrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Posted April 5, 2013.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

References:

  1. Manach C.. Polyphenols: food sources and bioavailability. Am J Clin Nutr 2004; 79 (5): 727-747
  2. de Bock M, Derraik JGB, Cutfield W (2012) Polyphenols and glucose homeostasis in humans. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 112: 808–815.
  3. Psaltopoulou T.  Olive oil, the Mediterranean diet, and arterial blood pressure: the Greek European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study.  Am J Clin Nutr October 2004 80: 1012-1018
  4. El SN, Karakaya S (2009) Olive tree (Olea europaea) leaves: potential beneficial effects on human health. Nutr Rev 67: 632–638.
  5. Larsen LF.  Are olive oil diets antithrombotic? Diets enriched with olive, rapeseed, or sunflower oil affect postprandial factor VII differently.  Am J Clin Nutr December 1999 70: 976-982
  6. De Bock M. Olive (Olea europaea L.) Leaf Polyphenols Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Middle-Aged Overweight Men: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial PLoS One 2013;8(3):e57622. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057622. Epub 2013 Mar 13.
  7. Alberti KG, Eckel RH, Grundy SM, et al. 2009. Harmonizing the metabolic syndrome: a joint interim statement of the International Diabetes Federation Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; American Heart Association; World Heart Federation; International Atherosclerosis Society; and International Association for the Study of Obesity. Circulation 120: 1640–1645
  8. Matsuda M.   Insulin sensitivity indices obtained from oral glucose tolerance testing: comparison with the euglycemic insulin clamp. Diabetes Care 1999; 22: 1462–1470.
  9. Kahn S.  Quantification of the relationship between insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function in human subjects. Evidence for a hyperbolic function. Diabetes 1993;42:1663–1672.