This week on the Olive Health Information System website

The newsletter of the University of Navarra and the IOC dedicated to health

Olive oil is a key component of the Mediterranean diet, long associated with improved insulin sensitivity. Its benefits are largely attributed to monounsaturated fatty acids, particularly oleic acid, which support glucose homeostasis and the function of cell membranes. In addition, polyphenols such as hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, and oleocanthal may help modulate inflammatory pathways and reduce oxidative stress, potentially protecting pancreatic β-cells and enhancing insulin action.

This week, we highlight a meta-analysis that combined evidence from 51 clinical trials involving more than 4,000 adults with cardiometabolic risk factors. The researchers looked at how different amounts of olive oil affect blood sugar control and found that people consuming 25–50 grams per day (about 2–4 tablespoons) had better results on HOMA-IR, a marker of insulin resistance and a key contributor to type 2 diabetes.

Beyond glucose control, olive oil and the Mediterranean diet may also play a role in how our bodies age. Oxidative stress — an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants — can trigger inflammation and accelerate the onset of age-related diseases. In this context, a large cross-sectional study using data from the UK Biobank (46,755 participants) explored the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and biological aging. Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with significantly reduced acceleration of two biological aging markers, KDM-BA and PhenoAge.

These findings suggest that anti-inflammatory and antioxidant dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet may help slow biological aging. They also support the idea that the Mediterranean diet could be an effective strategy to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, potentially lowering the burden of age-related chronic diseases. Looking ahead, well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these associations and to further explore the synergistic effects of the Mediterranean diet’s diverse components.

Other articles mentioned this week in the OHIS newsletter:

OLIVE FRUIT

Utilizing olive leaves as a rich source of multifunctional bioactive compounds to fight oxidative stress, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer using in vitro, in silico, and bioinformatics techniques.

Beneficial Effect of Olive Leaf Extract as an Adjunct to Standard Antifungal Therapy in Treating Candida-Related Oral Diseases.

CANCER

Olive Oil Polyphenols: A Promising Approach for Cancer Prevention and Therapy.

DIABETES

The Effect of Different Types of Olive Oil on Glucose Control and Insulin Sensitivity: A GRADE-Assessed Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of 51 Randomized Controlled Trials.

Optimizing cardiovascular health with a type 2 diabetes remission program: Ultraprocessed food-intake reduction, Mediterranean diet, chrononutrition and physical training-The DIABEPIC-2 pilot study.

CARDIOMETABOLIC HEALTH

Effect of DASH vs. mediterranean diet accompanied by a salt restriction on metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk factors in adults with high normal blood pressure or grade 1 hypertension: secondary analyses of a randomized controlled trial.

MEDITERRANEAN DIET