Background: The aim of this study was to analyse the nutraceutical properties of table green olives Nocellara del\nBelice, a traditional Mediterranean food. The Mediterranean Diet has as key elements olives and extra virgin olive oil,\ncommon to all Mediterranean countries. Olive oil is the main source of fat and can modulate oxidative stress and\ninflammation, whereas little is known about the role of olives. Moreover, emerging evidences underline the association\nbetween gut microbiota and food as the basis of many phenomena that affect health and delay or avoid the onset of\nsome age-related chronic diseases.\nMethods: In order to show if table green olives have nutraceutical properties and/or probiotic effect, we performed a\nnutritional intervention, administering to 25 healthy subjects (mean age 38,3), 12 table green olives/day for 30 days. We\ncarried out anthropometric, biochemical, oxidative stress and cytokines analyses at the beginning of the study and at\nthe end. Moreover, we also collected fecal samples to investigate about the possible variation of concentration of\nLactobacilli, after the olives consumption.\nResult: Our results showed a significant variation of one molecule related to oxidative stress, malondialdehyde,\nconfirming that Nocellara del Belice green olives could have an anti-oxidant effect. In addition, the level of interleukin-6\ndecreased significantly, demonstrating how this food could be able to modulate the inflammatory response. Moreover,\nit is noteworthy the reduction of fat mass with an increase of muscle mass, suggesting a possible effect on long time\nassumption of table olives on body mass variation. No statistically significant differences were observed in the amount\nof Lactobacilli, although a trend towards an increased concentration of them at the end of the intervention could be\nrelated to the nutraceutical effects of olives.\nConclusion: These preliminary results suggest a possible nutraceutical effect of daily consumption of green table olives\nNocellara del Belice. To best of our knowledge, this is the first study performed to assess nutraceutical properties of this\nfood. Of course, it is necessary to verify the data in a larger sample of individuals to confirm their role as nutraceuticals.
Loading....