Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Has Anti-Inflammatory Benefits That Could Result In Less Use Of NSAID Drugs, According To Study

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food," Hippocrates once said. This quote has been all but forgotten in the modern age when we have many over-the-counter (and prescription) drugs made readily available to us, and we rarely try to treat our ailments naturally anymore. Max Lugavere, nutrition expert and author of Genius Foods, writes and speaks often about the powers of extra-virgin olive oil. In his book, he even recommends taking a spoonful of it every day to help with overall health and brain function. He spoke about the anti-inflammatory functions of extra-virgin olive oil on a podcast called "Feel Better, Live More" by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, referring to a study that shows regular use of olive oil can actually result in less use of drugs.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Has Anti-Inflammatory Benefits That Could Result in Less Use of NSAID Drugs, According to Study

You might only cook with olive oil every once in a while or use it in salad dressing mixes, but there are some major health benefits to eating extra-virgin olive oil every single day, mostly because of something called oleocanthal. It's a staple oil in some of the healthiest societies around the world and it has huge benefits on improving brain function.

"Extra-virgin olive oil has an anti-inflammatory aspect to it. It contains a compound called oleocanthal, which is as anti-inflammatory as low dose ibuprofen," Max explains. "Which is incredible because ibuprofen and all other non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs—chronic use of those types of drugs, as you know, Rangan, are associated with cardiovascular disease events."

"So with extra-virgin olive oil, you get all the upside of taking tiny doses of this category of drugs but none of the downside," he continues. "And I'll also add that Ramsden 2021 study—the patients who were on this intervention of simultaneously increasing their Omega 3 intake and decreasing their intake of industrially refined grain and seed oils—they also were able to cut their usage of NSAID drugs in half. So they were able to take less drugs, so this clearly proves that in a way food is a form of medicine, particularly if you're a migraine sufferer."

Simply eating more extra-virgin olive oil every day can reduce chronic inflammation in the body, which isn't only associated with fewer or less intense headaches, but also with chronic disease in general. Inflammation is the underlying cause of just about any chronic illness, so reducing inflammation in the body has big benefits for your menstrual cycle, heart health, immune system, brain function, and even muscle development.

In a clip from Max's podcast, "The Genius Life," he calls extra-virgin olive oil "medicine to the brain and body." It's a staple oil in the Mediterranean diet and is rich in heart-healthy fats. It contains 15% of saturated fat, which makes it a "chemically stable fat." Olive oil also contains a high amount of polyphenols and antioxidants, which can protect it against oxidation (unlike seed oils, which are highly susceptible to oxidation).

While olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties that can help people naturally treat headaches, a study shows that people who chronically suffer from migraines dealt with far fewer headaches when they cut their ingestion of industrial seed oils and took omega-3 supplements. This is not surprising, as seed oils are incredibly inflammatory and highly toxic because of the content of linoleic acid, a predominant n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid that is normally found in very low amounts in natural animal fats.

It couldn't be clearer: eliminate seed oils from your life and cook more with extra-virgin olive oil for major benefits for your brain and body. Even taking a straight spoonful of extra-virgin olive each day can help you reduce inflammation.