A recent study by Pei and colleagues revealed that oleocanthal, a powerful polyphenol found in high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil, shows strong anticancer properties in human liver cancer cells (hepatocellular carcinoma).

What did the study find?

-Inhibited cancer cell growth and limited their proliferation.
-Triggered apoptosis, the programmed death of cancer cells.
-Prevented metastasis: reduced migration and invasion of cancer cells in vitro and blocked lung metastasis in an in-vivo model.
-Targeted STAT3, a key protein that drives tumor growth and spread.

Mechanism of action

Oleocanthal interfered with the STAT3 signaling pathway, reducing its activity and thereby lowering the expression of:

-survival proteins such as Bcl-2 and survivin,
-invasive proteins like MMP2,
-cyclin D1, a protein linked to uncontrolled cell cycle progression.

In simple terms, oleocanthal shuts down the “command center” of cancer cells, stopping their growth and promoting their death.

Why is this important?

This research adds to the growing body of evidence that high-phenolic olive oil is far more than a food—it is a natural health elixir. Oleocanthal, through regular dietary intake of quality olive oil, shows promise as a natural anticancer compound that deserves further investigation in clinical studies.


See the publication...