西班牙研究人员发现，初榨橄榄油中所含的油酸、单不饱和脂肪酸等物质不但有益身体健康，而且还能防止乳腺癌的形成与发展。巴塞罗那自治大学研究人员在老鼠身上展开实验。

他们挑选60只患有乳腺癌的老鼠，分成3组，一组喂食橄榄油，一组喂食玉米油，一组喂普通食物。

一段时间后，研究人员发现，食用橄榄油的老鼠身上恶性肿瘤生长的速度要明显慢于其他两组。他们认为，橄榄油中所含的氨基酸阻挠蛋白质AKT生长，这种蛋白质有助癌细胞繁殖。

研究人员还发现，橄榄油中所含的物质还可能削弱致癌基因p21Ras的影响，这种基因对癌细胞的存活起到关键作用。另外，食用橄榄油的老鼠受到的脱氧核糖核酸(DNA)损伤较小。

与此相反的是，食用玉米油的老鼠癌细胞数量增加迅速，且“攻击性”更强。

建议每天摄取橄榄油

研究负责人爱德华·埃斯克里奇说：“这些分子反应在癌症发展过程中十分重要。因此，我们的研究显示出环境因素可以影响这种疾病(乳腺癌)。”

“虽然把这一实验结果应用于人类时应该小心谨慎，但是我们的结果强调了某种饮食习惯对癌症预防的重要性。”

他表示，研究人员将于不久后在人身上开展类似实验，观察橄榄油是否会有相同效果。

埃斯克里奇建议人们每天摄取50毫升初榨橄榄油并持之以恒，认为只有这样才能收到明显效果。

原文出处：

The FASEB Journal. doi: 10.1096/fj.09-148452.

In vivo nutrigenomic effects of virgin olive oil polyphenols within the frame of the Mediterranean diet: a randomized controlled trial
Valentini Konstantinidou*,, Maria-Isabel Covas*,1, Daniel Mu?oz-Aguayo*, Olha Khymenets, Rafael de la Torre, Guillermo Saez, Maria del Carmen Tormos, Estefania Toledo||, Amelia Marti?, Valentina Ruiz-Gutiérrez#, Maria Victoria Ruiz Mendez# and Montserrat Fito*

The aim of the study was to assess whether benefits associated with the traditional Mediterranean diet (TMD) and virgin olive oil (VOO) consumption could be mediated through changes in the expression of atherosclerosis-related genes. A randomized, parallel, controlled clinical trial in healthy volunteers (n=90) aged 20 to 50 yr was performed. Three-month intervention groups were as follows: 1) TMD with VOO (TMD+VOO), 2) TMD with washed virgin olive oil (TMD+WOO), and 3) control with participants’ habitual diet. WOO was similar to VOO, but with a lower polyphenol content (55 vs. 328 mg/kg, respectively). TMD consumption decreased plasma oxidative and inflammatory status and the gene expression related with both inflammation [INF- (INF), Rho GTPase-activating protein15 (ARHGAP15), and interleukin-7 receptor (IL7R)] and oxidative stress [adrenergic β2-receptor (ADRB2) and polymerase (DNA-directed)  (POLK)] in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. All effects, with the exception of the decrease in POLK expression, were particularly observed when VOO, rich in polyphenols, was present in the TMD dietary pattern. Our results indicate a significant role of olive oil polyphenols in the down-regulation of proatherogenic genes in the context of a TMD. In addition, the benefits associated with a TMD and olive oil polyphenol consumption on cardiovascular risk can be mediated through nutrigenomic effects.—Konstantinidou, V., Covas, M.-I., Mu?oz-Aguayo, D., Khymenets, O., de la Torre, R., Saez, G., del Carmen Tormos, M., Toledo, E., Marti, A., Ruiz-Gutiérrez, V., Ruiz Mendez, M. V., Fito, M. In vivo nutrigenomic effects of virgin olive oil polyphenols within the frame of the Mediterranean diet: a randomized controlled trial.