The health benefits of olives — and associated natural products like olive oil — have long been recognized and touted by proponents of the Mediterranean diet. However, little was previously known about which specific compounds and biochemical interactions in the fruit contribute to its medical and nutritional value, such as weight loss and prevention of type 2 diabetes.
A research team has found that the olive-derived compound oleuropein helps the body secrete more insulin, a central signaling molecule in the body that controls metabolism. The same compound also detoxifies another signaling molecule called amylin that causes overproduction and forms harmful aggregates in type 2 diabetes. In these two different ways, oleuropein helps to prevent the onset of disease.
