The olive tree, endorsed by the EFSA for its cardiovascular effect.
Few molecules are as powerful for health as Hydroxytyrosol, a polyphenol present in the olive plant. Its extraordinary properties offers great opportunities to the nutraceutical industry.
Nutraceutics has experienced a great expansion over recent years due to the interest of consumers in taking care of their health with natural products. Dietary supplements and herbal products have become a common remedy these days to treat different diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cholesterol.
Research and innovation are key to the development of the nutraceutical industry, which is constantly searching for new ingredients and products. They must be effective and endorsed by the highest health authorities. In this sense, Hydroxytyrosol extracts from olive tree meet these two requirements.
The main property of Hydroxytyrosol (HTy) is its high capacity as an antioxidant agent. Numerous scientific studies have shown its ability to slow the oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL, also known as bad cholesterol). This action is very important as oxidized LDL accumulates in the vascular walls and consequently contributes to the development of atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is a common disease of the main blood vessels which is characterized by a narrowing of the arteries due to the presence of fat plaques and deposits of cholesterol and calcium, as they prevent the normal passage of blood through these arteries.
It should be noted that cardiovascular diseases are nowadays the main cause of death in developed countries, and the role of atherosclerosis in them is undisputed.
The effectiveness of Hidroxytyrosol has been ratified by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the cornerstone of the European Union in relation to risk and safety of food and feed.
The EFSA panel of experts stated in 2011 that 5 mg daily intake of Hydroxytyrosol is useful in preventing the oxidation of LDL. On the other hand, it has recognized HTy as the only natural antioxidant that does not come from vitamins or minerals.
The most common way to consume Hydroxytyrosol is through the ingestion of olives and virgin olive oil (AOV), which should not be confused with refined olive oil as it does not contain the HTy molecule.
But there is a problem with the Hydroxytyrosol from AOV: its concentration is relatively low and it depends on factors such as olive variety, the method used in oil manufacture, etc.
In fact, not all commercial AOVs comply with EFSA’s Cardiovascular Health Claim. To intake 5 mg of Hydroxytyrosol from AOVs, oils should contain at least 250 ppm of HTy, but most market AOVs do not exceed 100 ppm.
Extracts are the solution
Therefore it is necessary to supplement commercial AOVs with Hidroxytyrosol in order to achieve the concentrations required by EFSA to obtein the healthy effect.
The best way to supplement oils is through extracts, as they have a high concentration of Hydroxytyrosol. Besides, its ease of handling and its different formats (powder and liquid) allows the product to be used as a dietary supplement through oral tablets, which allow a new path for the nutraceutical industry.
Additional information about plant extracts.
In Nutexa we produce purified extracts with high concentration of Hydroxytyrosol, with the certification of ECOCERT, which guarantees a respectful with the environment..
If you want to incorporate olive fruit extract into your products, contact us and we will help you develop a personalized formula.
REFERENCES
- Trends in age-specific coronary heart disease mortality in the European Union over three decades: 1980–2009. Nichols, M.; Townsend, N.; Scarborough, P.; Rayner, M. European Heart Journal
- Meat consumption in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohorts: results from 24-hour dietary recalls. Linseisen J et al. Public Health Nutr. 2002;5:1243–1258
- Minor Components of Olive Oil: Evidence to Date of Health Benefits in Humans. Covas, M.I., Visioli, F. et al. Nutrition Reviews, Vol. 64, No. 9
- Comparison of fatty acid profile in plasma phospholipids in women from Granada (southern Spain) and Malmö (southern Sweden). Chajès V et al. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2001; 71:237–242.
- Lipoproteínas de baja densidad oixdadas. Rev Electron Biomed / Electron J Biomed 2008;3:52-60.- Calmarza, P.
