The cardiovascular benefits of hydroxytyrosol
02.04.2025
An international team of researchers has published a study highlighting?the cardiovascular benefits of hydroxytyrosol.?This compound, found in extra virgin olive oil, can help reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, known as "bad" cholesterol, and prevent conditions such as atherosclerosis. Among the researchers is Francesco Visioli from the Department of Molecular Medicine at the University of Padua.
The research, published in the journal "," was conducted by scholars from the?University of Padua, IMDEA-Alimentación in Madrid, and CEBAS-CSIC in Murcia.?The study shows that?hydroxytyrosol can influence the human epigenome, which regulates the activation or deactivation of genes based on environmental factors and lifestyles, without altering the DNA. Specifically, it was found that hydroxytyrosol can?protect arteries?from the accumulation of fats and cholesterol, acting in the early stages of cardiovascular diseases."We have discovered that this compound modulates certain genetic elements?that circulate in the plasma transported by nanovesicles called exosomes.
We have also?identified microRNAs?(molecules that influence gene expression) related to processes that improve cardiovascular diseases, such as mechanisms of response to low oxygen levels and the functions of epithelial and smooth muscle cells,"?explains Francesco Visioli, author of the research and professor at the Department of Molecular Medicine at the University of Padua.?This study now offers?a deeper understanding of the benefits of extra virgin olive oil?and helps develop tools for personalised nutrition, as individual response depends on various factors, including physical activity, diet, and microbiota.
The work was led by the lipid metabolism epigenetics group at the IMDEA Food Institute in Madrid, in collaboration with the food and health laboratory at CEBAS-CSIC in Murcia and the Department of Molecular Medicine at the University of Padua. The researchers observed that?a daily supplementation of 25 mg of hydroxytyrosol reduces LDL cholesterol oxidation and induces epigenetic changes through microRNAs.
Alberto Dávalos and Juan Carlos Espín, among the authors of the study, emphasise that these results provide?a much clearer understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the health benefits associated with extra virgin olive oil.?The research thus expands the possibility of including new elements in the diet to prevent common diseases?and provides new insights into the role of hydroxytyrosol in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. It confirms how?this plant compound helps reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and prevent conditions such as atherosclerosis.
