People living in Mediterranean countries have a fairly low risk of cancer, which may be partly due to their consumption of anti-inflammatory ingredients, including olive oil (1).
One potential contributor to cancer is oxidative damage due to harmful molecules called free radicals. However, extra virgin olive oil is high in antioxidants that reduce oxidative damage (2).
Oleic acid, in particular, is also highly resistant to oxidation and has been shown to slow the growth and spread of cancer cells in some studies (3,4).
According to a 2011 review, regular consumption of olive oil may also be associated with a lower risk of breast and digestive system cancers (5).
Cancer cells tend to have fragile lysosomal membranes compared to non-cancerous cells. Oleocanthal penetrates the lysosomal membranes, inducing cancer-specific cell death (6).
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