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Any Success with olive oil?

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Posted 6/30/2008 12:52 PM (GMT 0)
I remember reading a few times about people having some success in relieving symptoms by using olive oil and was wondering if anyone had experiences to share. I reason I ask is I have an 18 yr old son with CD who we have on the SCD trying to control his condition. He went to Italy last March and ate an unresticted diet (lots of pasta and bread) and came back  with no complaints/symptoms and actually seemed to be better.

Last week we went out for dinner to an Italian restaurant and he had a pasta dish and bread with both using olive oil extensively (which I assume was also the case in Italy). I asked him the next day expecting some deterioration in his condition since he was eating all SCD "illegal" food and he reported that he was actually better (he has been having some blood in his bm for a few months now, equivalent to 3-4 spoon fulls) with decreased amount of blood in stool.

I have been trying to think about a connection here and the only thing that comes to mind is olive oil. We will be experimenting more with it for the next little while to see if it changes anything.

Anyone have similar experiences?

Posted 6/30/2008 1:08 PM (GMT 0)
Him Jim, Always an interesting topic (food).  I don't know how pasta or olive oil might tie in with flares, but remembered a recent topic that might interest you. "Do you all know what triggers your Chron's Flares?"  Here is a link to that same topic:   https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=17&m=1154614&p=2    I hope your son continues to do better!! Blessings!
Posted 6/30/2008 2:13 PM (GMT 0)
Andrew Weil talks a lot about olive oil and its benefits. Might be worth a look. I was in Itay just for 10 days this sping. The food was actually quite light and I had few problems other than cramping. I'm finding that the better, less Americanized Italian restaurants seem to get this Tuscan style down and I have little problems with their food. However, those that produce heavy, garlic infused sauces cause me problems. Good luck to your son. Maybe look into Mediterranean diet too?
Posted 6/30/2008 2:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jim...could you possibly be remembering olive leaf extract? Olive leaf extract and oil of oregano have been discussed here on a few occasions. They are popular in the world of natural medicine for their natural antibiotic, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. You can google them to read more...

Olive oil is mostly an omega 9 oil which our diet has plenty--if not too much of. What is important with fatty acids it the ratio of the omega 3s to the 6s and 9s. Most things you read say we all need to supplement the 3s (fish oil) because our diet is naturally too high in the others. Many people here take fish oil. Here is a pretty good explanation of the differences between the oils if you care to copy and paste it into your browser:

http://www.womentowomen.com/nutritionandweightloss/differencebetweenomega369.aspx

Hope this helps! :-)
Posted 6/30/2008 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
Olive oil is much more than just omega 3...I use Extra virgine olive oil in virtually everything I cook, I also drink a tsp of it every night before bed an I use it externally as a moisturizer all over my body and even in my hair before bed and my skin, nails and hair are in amazing shape...EVOO is a natural antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral and full of antioxidents and is so healthy for you...I encourage anyone to make it a staple in their daily diet...and if you have bug bites, bad skin, hair and nails, use it externally. I had a bunch of mosquito bites a couple of weeks ago and only one of them itched a bit so while it was itching I immediately put extra EVOO on it and it stopped the itching instantly not to mention my misquito bites were ALL gone within 2 days. EVOO is amazing stuff and worth every penny.

:)
Posted 7/1/2008 3:15 AM (GMT 0)

for me, stress is a big thing.  if I have stress, I can eat hardly anything, I have to be very strict.  when I'm not stressed, I can eat practically everything.

don't think olive oil has that many anti inflammatory ingredients, and who knows how much he actually ate there, you can eat it just as much or as little in Italy as here.  so my guess is it wasn't the olive oil but the freedom and happiness he had on vacation, hope it lasts! 

Posted 7/1/2008 4:12 AM (GMT 0)

Illy said...

for me, stress is a big thing.  if I have stress, I can eat hardly anything, I have to be very strict.  when I'm not stressed, I can eat practically everything.

don't think olive oil has that many anti inflammatory ingredients, and who knows how much he actually ate there, you can eat it just as much or as little in Italy as here.  so my guess is it wasn't the olive oil but the freedom and happiness he had on vacation, hope it lasts! 


You're incorrect about EVOO not having anti-inflammatory affects, it infact does, here's a link that explains it....

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v437/n7055/full/437045a.html

 http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=18445488

You might also be interested to know that it's a natural pain reliever working like NSAIDS does...

http://www.arthritis.org/olive-oil-and-inflammation.php

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4204076.stm

And it's considered a "good fat" a healthy kind of fat, it is omega 9 enriched.

:)

Posted 7/1/2008 5:15 AM (GMT 0)
Hmmmmmm, you may one day , find pb4, floating in a martini..........
Posted 7/1/2008 5:25 AM (GMT 0)
LOL, you just never know!

:)
Posted 7/1/2008 9:59 AM (GMT 0)

PB4, Are you a Rachel Ray fan? I can tell from the EVOO acronym.  My wife makes fun of me, but since I have gotten sick, I love watching the cooking shows and cooking.  If you saw or knew me, this would really shock you.  I have found that i do better with olive oil than Veg. oil.  When I lived in the Philippines, I cook a lot with rice oil and I seemed to handle it ok, but I did not know that I had crohn's back then and would have attributed my been sick a skinny to my tape worm friend that I had there for nearly my whole 2 years. 

I would be really interested if anyone found this to be true.  It seems like every cooking show and nutritional show I see seems to recommend it.  When my wife wakes up( darn crohn's has turned me into an insomniac) I will ask her because she is a Nutrition graduate with a batchelor in Health Promotions.  Maybe she can shed a little light on this for us.

Posted 7/1/2008 10:18 AM (GMT 0)

pb4, what I said was, as you quoted "don't think it has that many anti-inflammatory ingredients", I didn't say it had none or no effect. 

most of those links say the same thing, that it works on the cyclooxygenase pathway and that it is one molecule in olive oil, oleocanthal.  and let's be realistic, some olive oils are going to have more oleocanthal than others, you can't regulate that.  so acc. to the last link, IF you eat 3 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil (slightly more than an ounce), it's like taking 200mg of ibuprofen. 

I'm not saying anything bad about olive oil.  I use it on my food.  All I'm saying is his son's remission is multifactorial and likely not caused by eating olive oil.  if we could all go into remission from taking olive oil (or even ibuprofen), I'm sure we'd be buying it by the gallon.

Posted 7/1/2008 5:04 PM (GMT 0)
Illy you'd be amazed at what some people have gone into remission from, staying there is the other 1/2 of the battle (it's easy for many to slip into old "bad" habits once in remission) granted often the disease has a mind of it's own...EVOO has plenty of inflammatory properties, especially if can react like NSAIDs...lots of things can't be regulated but bottom line is EVOO is extreamly healthy...and it may not have been the olive oil alone that caused his son to go into remission but the entire dietary change including the EVOO, the medeteranian diet is about one of the healthiest ways to eat and those who've eaten that way their whole lives have a much lower risk of developing the kinds of diseases we run into in western civilization. I use it on my skin as a moisturizer, when I was bit by some mosquitos only one bite itched a bit and as soon as I put EVOO on it the itching stopped, all my bug bites were gone within a couple of day, same with burns or any other skin issues I've had, bruises, scrapes ect. EVOO is pretty amazing and of course the better quality to ingest the the better it is for you, there are tons of choices out there when it comes to quality, the more you pay the better the quality.

tsitodawg, I started out as a huge fan of hers but she still tends to use alot of processed foods (out of the can) which I don't eat anymore, but she definitely has some great recipes (the more wholesome, the better of course) I think the fact that she uses EVOO on a regular basis is fantastic...look at her skin, it's practically flawless...the girl definitely has an abundance of energy too.

:)
Posted 7/1/2008 5:35 PM (GMT 0)

I think we're going OT here.  the thread was about his son's remission.  we don't  know what he ate in Italy.  it's certainly very easy to live on pizza pasta and pastries in Italy, same as here.  not all mediterraneans eat the mediterranean diet any more than japanese live only on fish and seaweed :-)    we don't know how much olive oil he ate and again I don't think it was the biggest factor.

I have nothing bad to say about olive oil, but I doubt it's a panacea.  you can get the same results on your skin with apricot seed oil or jojoba oil or organic soy oil and you won't have the scent of an italian restaurant--I think all oils are hydrostatic.

Posted 7/1/2008 6:53 PM (GMT 0)
No, the topic heading is "Any Success with olive oil?" So I havn't been getting off topic since every reply I've made has been about EVOO...and believe me, I don't smell like an Italian restaurant...and you cannot compare pizza, pasta and even pasteries in Italy to those here in western civilization, it's not the same, here it's processed garbage, there, they tend to even make their own noodles from scratch, not out of a box and their sauce isn't out of a can.

:)
Posted 7/1/2008 7:16 PM (GMT 0)

pb4 said...
 you cannot compare pizza, pasta and even pasteries in Italy to those here in western civilization, it's not the same, here it's processed garbage, there, they tend to even make their own noodles from scratch, not out of a box and their sauce isn't out of a can.

:)

Italy is not Western Civilization?  They have as many processed foods there as we do here.  And restaurants use them all the time.  Europeans have the same time constraints that we do, they live in a modern society, they don't take siestas anymore, they don't all live in fields with olive trees.  Unfortunately. 

 

Posted 7/1/2008 8:30 PM (GMT 0)
Peace ... Let's just say the lots of high saturated fat diet that is common with the Americanized diet. I was once told normally Americans smell like butter, but I smelled like beef. (I did not know butter had a smell, but I have never really liked it) humm....Granted it was my Asian friend that said this, but I have to admit it is a funny commentary on my country roots.

Very simply there is benefits to taking Omega threes.

Calment (lived to be 122) certainly swore by olive oil.
Posted 7/1/2008 8:50 PM (GMT 0)
I don't think any other part of the world has as bad a diet as what we do here in North America and believe me the McDonalds in China (for example) is not the McDonalds here in North America.

Illy I know you're not knocking EVOO but it just seems you may not be as aware of the overall health benefits it has either...I'm not looking to ruffle feathers but making statements like "it doesn't really have anti-inflammatory properties" when infact it does tells me that you are not completely informed about the benefits and I just wanted to share what is known about it not argue over it.

:)
Posted 7/1/2008 9:05 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry I am OT here, but I was wondering isn't the best oil for omega threes, flax seed?
Posted 7/1/2008 10:02 PM (GMT 0)
It may very well be, EVOO is a main source of omega 3 but that doesn't mean it's better than flax seed...

In recent years flax seed has become known as a miracle food due to the large amounts of alpha linolenic acids that it contains. These omega-3’s, which resemble the same powerful antioxidant effects found in salmon, have proven in numerous studies to lower bad cholesterol, LDL, and blood triglyceride and blood pressure.

Flax seed is also loaded with lignan, a phytoestrogen that is an excellent source of fiber. This component of the miracle food is thought to help prevent breast cancer and inflamed intestines.

Extra virgin olive oil is another great natural remedy for protecting yourself against hypertension. It is composed mainly of monounsaturated fat which has been proven time and again to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Letting your cholesterol levels and blood pressure readings get out of control can lead to strokes and heart attacks. Flax seed and olive oil are easy ways to start taking responsibility and control of your health.

:)
Posted 7/2/2008 6:00 AM (GMT 0)
I use Extra virgin olive oil in my facial/body care products I make for myself, two of my favourite creams for when my skin is feeling dry and sore have this as an ingredient. I have often thought that if it helps aid inflamed skin that it could also aid inflammation internally. Just my thoughts. Joanne
Posted 7/2/2008 6:14 AM (GMT 0)
Just out of interest, what oil do you *ordinarily* use in your cooking in the US?

Me, I use olive oil all the time, unless the recipe specifically calls for something different, so I'm intrigued to know what people in the US do.

Hey Jo, would you be willing to share your facial / body care product recipes?

I.
Posted 7/2/2008 6:20 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, I researched this quite a lot before attempting to make anything. I started off with some huge disasters, but once I learnt the right quantities and what essential oils were good for what I can now make all my beauty regime needs. Im still looking for a good body wash recipe though and a good hair conditioner to add to my herbal shampoo.
I will right my favourites down and post to you soon.
Posted 7/2/2008 8:59 AM (GMT 0)
pb4, you keep saying I said Olive Oil has no anti inflammatory properties.  I did not say that, if you read my original msg and my followup, you will see that.  I said it doesn't have that many, not enough to be the sole cause for jim83's son's etc.

olive oil actuallly is not high in omega 3's.  I don't know if it has any. it has lots of anti oxidants, though.  for this reason, I never heat it, as this breaks down the beneficial compounds.  I don't always like the taste in food anyway, it's too strong or not the right taste for some dishes. and if I were to spend the $$$ for EVOO, it would be a waste.  

flaxseed oil is high in the omega 3 ALA, which might be converted into EPA by your body, but might not.  EPA is the anti inflammatory omega 3 in fish oil  DHA is also in fish oil, but most of the AI effect is from EPA.  I wouldn't rely only on one type of oil anyway.  flaxseed oil is still good for you, even if it doesn't strictly convert into EPA in your body.

 if you buy flaxseed oil, make sure it's been organically grown, coldpressed, and refrigerated during its trip, also refrigerated in the store.  otherwise, if it would have less health benefits.  I like it on salads, esp. if there's nuts in the salad.  I would never heat it either.

found this interesting article on corruption in european olive oil trade:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/08/13/070813fa_fact_mueller

Posted 7/2/2008 12:11 PM (GMT 0)
That is true. There is very little omega 3s in olive oil. It is primarily omega 6, though some things I've read state it has 9s also. I believe its claim to fame are the polyphenol antioxidants which are unique to and very high in olive oil.

But again, the most important thing with oils is the RATIO of omegas to each other in our diet. I just read that the ideal ratio of omega 6s to 3s is between 2:1 and 4:1. The typical American diet is too high in 6s and 9s, with the ratio thought to be between 10:1 and 30:1. This is why supplementation of omega 3s is important for most of us.

Ivy, I recently had a conversation with a VERY knowledgeable woman at Lucy's Kitchen (SCD linked). She recommended the book "Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill", by Udo Erasmus, to me (she said it's a great book). Among other things, it explains why certain oils, such as olive oil, should NOT be used in high temperature cooking. It is actually unhealthy at high temps. She said good ol' canola oil or a coconut oil for high heat is best in this situation. I haven't yet gotten the book, but this thread has reminded me of it. I think I'll call my library today! In the mean time, I did stop using olive oil for high temp cooking.

I've been taking flaxseed oil for omega 3s for about 15 years now. It totally negates my pms symptoms (sore breasts, back ache, mood swings, etc.), keeps me regular, improved my skin, helps arthritis issues, etc. etc. I know it works because sometimes I forget to use it for a month or two and pay the price. I like Barleans Omega Twin which has borage seed oil added for GLAs. I have my son take cod liver oil for his omega 3s, though, because several folks here explained it is a better choice for CD (who knows?). It also has the added benefit of naturally occurring vitamin A, D3 and E.
Posted 7/2/2008 4:57 PM (GMT 0)

EMom said...

Ivy, I recently had a conversation with a VERY knowledgeable woman at Lucy's Kitchen (SCD linked). She recommended the book "Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill", by Udo Erasmus, to me (she said it's a great book). Among other things, it explains why certain oils, such as olive oil, should NOT be used in high temperature cooking. It is actually unhealthy at high temps. She said good ol' canola oil or a coconut oil for high heat is best in this situation. I haven't yet gotten the book, but this thread has reminded me of it. I think I'll call my library today! In the mean time, I did stop using olive oil for high temp cooking.

Olive oil, as with any fatty substance, deteriorates during the frying process especially if it is used over and over and if the frying temperature is very high. High temperature destroys the good ingredients of any oil while it creates harmful agents for the liver, the arteries and the heart.

It is important however to take into consideration that these harmful agents are less likely to be created in olive oil than in all other known vegetable oils and this is because olive oil has a different composition. It contains a high percentage of oleic
acid, which is much more resistant to oxidization than the polyunsaturated acids, which are found in large amounts in seed oils. But more importantly olive oil contains natural anti-oxidizing agents such as phenols and vitamin E. When heated, olive oil is
the most stable fat, which means it stands up well to high frying temperatures. Its high smoking point (210º C) is well above the ideal temperature for frying food (180º C). The digestibility of olive oil is not affected when it is heated, even when it is re-used several times for frying.

 

:)

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