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The Impact of Olive Oil on Human Health
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The Impact of Olive Oil on Human Health

A Special Issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643) belonging to the section "Lipids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2026 | Viewed by 7790

Editors

Dr. María D. Navarro-Hortal

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, 41009 Seville, Spain
Interests: aging; natural products; neurodegenerative diseases; nutrition; redox biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Sergio Montserrat-de la Paz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, 41009 Seville, Spain
Interests: immunonutrition; novel foods; olive oil; lipid metabolism; protein hydrolysates; bioactive peptides; foodomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Luna Barrera-Chamorro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Av. Dr Fedriani s/n, 41009 Seville, Spain
Interests: nutrition; bioactive compounds; polyphenols; pectin; olive oil; immunonutrition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Olive oil, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, has long been recognized for its beneficial effects on human health. Rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, phenolic compounds, and other bioactive molecules, olive oil contributes to the prevention of numerous chronic diseases and plays a key role in promoting healthy aging.

Growing evidence highlights the protective role of olive oil against cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. In addition, its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties have been linked to reduction in oxidative stress, improved endothelial function, and enhanced immune response. Emerging research also explores its role in neuroprotection, gut microbiota modulation, and cancer prevention.

This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality original research articles and reviews that advance our understanding of the impact of olive oil on human health. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, cardiovascular health, metabolic regulation, inflammation and oxidative stress, aging and neurodegeneration, cancer, immunity, and gut health.

Dr. María D. Navarro-Hortal
Prof. Dr. Sergio Montserrat-de la Paz
Guest Editors

Dr. Luna Barrera-Chamorro
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • olive oil
  • mediterranean diet
  • cardiovascular health
  • metabolic disorders
  • type 2 diabetes
  • inflammation
  • oxidative stress
  • neuroprotection
  • cancer prevention
  • gut microbiota

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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30 pages, 10809 KB  
Article
Time-Dependent Multimechanistic Antitumor Effects of Olive Oil Phenolics in a Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Mouse Model
by Nikoleta Anna Madelou, Marianna Kapetanou, Katerina Papakonstantinou, Olga Koutsoni, Zacharias Kakazanis, Eleni Melliou, Prokopios Magiatis, Vasilis Zoumbourlis, Efstathios S. Gonos and Haralabia Boleti
Nutrients 2026, 18(17), 2756; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18172756 - 23 Aug 2026
Viewed by 1545
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The health-protective properties of olive oil phenolics, including their potential chemopreventive and anticancer effects, have attracted considerable scientific interest. However, their in vivo efficacy and mechanisms of action remain insufficiently understood. Recent advances in extraction and purification technologies have enabled large-scale [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The health-protective properties of olive oil phenolics, including their potential chemopreventive and anticancer effects, have attracted considerable scientific interest. However, their in vivo efficacy and mechanisms of action remain insufficiently understood. Recent advances in extraction and purification technologies have enabled large-scale production of highly purified olive oil phenols and phenolic-rich extracts, facilitating translational research. Methods: Herein, the antitumor efficacy of isolated olive oil phenols and phenolic-rich formulations was investigated in an MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) xenograft model. Results: Intraperitoneal administration of oleocanthal (OLC), oleuropein aglycone (OleA) or their combination reduced endpoint tumor burden, with OLC exhibiting the most pronounced effect. Oral administration of total olive oil phenolics (OOPs) achieved comparable efficacy. Pre-treatment initiated before tumor cell implantation conferred the greatest protection, consistent with a prophylactic mode of action. In contrast, delayed intervention displayed diminished or no antitumor benefit. Phenolic-rich extra virgin olive oil likewise showed an inhibition trend in tumor progression. Mechanistically, OOPs attenuated plasma protein oxidation, modulated proteasome mediated proteolysis, and reduced γH2AX levels in vivo. Furthermore, OOPs negatively affected the MDA-MB-231 cell migration in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings are consistent with antitumor activities of olive oil phenolics via multiple mechanisms and support their further investigation as prophylactic agents in TNBC and as nutraceuticals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Olive Oil on Human Health)
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Review

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39 pages, 8606 KB  
Review
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Molecular Mechanisms, Bioavailability Challenges, and Therapeutic Perspectives
by Muhammad Maaz, Muhammad Tauseef Sultan, Ahmad Mujtaba Noman, Ralf Weiskirchen, Waleed Rizk ElGhareeb, Bodour Ibrahim Al Shik Mubarak, Adel A. Rezk and Marwa Ezz El-Din Ibrahim
Nutrients 2026, 18(15), 2416; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18152416 - 24 Jul 2026
Viewed by 3136
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a key component of the Mediterranean diet, has attracted research interest because olive-derived phenolics demonstrate potential anticancer activity in experimental models. This review summarizes evidence concerning whole EVOO, phenolic-enriched EVOO, olive phenolic extracts, and the isolated [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a key component of the Mediterranean diet, has attracted research interest because olive-derived phenolics demonstrate potential anticancer activity in experimental models. This review summarizes evidence concerning whole EVOO, phenolic-enriched EVOO, olive phenolic extracts, and the isolated compounds hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, oleocanthal, and oleacein. Methods: A structured narrative search of PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar was conducted for literature published between 2015 and 2025. Evidence was reviewed for breast, prostate, colorectal, pancreatic, bone, oral, liver, gastric, hematological, and brain cancers. Comparatively limited evidence concerning cervical, endometrial, ovarian, melanoma, non-melanoma skin, and thyroid cancers was summarized separately. Results: The molecular evidence was derived primarily from cell culture and animal studies using isolated phenolics and concentrated extracts. Preclinical studies indicate that EVOO phenolics may demonstrate anticancer activity through multiple mechanisms, including antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory effects, cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis, inhibition of metastasis, anti-angiogenic activity, and modulation of key signaling pathways, such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR, MAPK/ERK, NF-κB, JAK/STAT, Wnt/β-catenin, p53, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition-related pathways. Most molecular and pathway-level evidence was obtained using isolated phenolic compounds in cell culture or animal models, whereas evidence directly examining whole EVOO consumption was largely observational and substantially more limited. Experimental studies also reported that oleocanthal induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization, whereas hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein promoted mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, preclinical combination studies suggested enhanced tumor-cell sensitivity to selected chemotherapeutic, targeted, and immunotherapeutic agents. However, these effects have not been established in patients. Human evidence remains limited mainly to observational dietary associations and small exploratory interventions, with no conclusive demonstration of cancer prevention or therapeutic efficacy. Conclusions: Isolated EVOO-derived phenolic compounds demonstrated promising anticancer mechanisms in preclinical models. However, these results should not be directly extrapolated to dietary EVOO because experimentally administered doses, bioavailability, metabolism, and food-matrix interactions differ substantially from human dietary exposure. Therefore, well-designed studies using chemically characterized EVOO, pharmacokinetic investigations, and controlled human trials are required before dietary or clinical recommendations can be made. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Olive Oil on Human Health)
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38 pages, 13708 KB  
Review
Olive Oil as a Modulator of Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Health: A Narrative Review from Microbial Metabolism to Host Responses
by Luna Barrera-Chamorro, Teresa Gonzalez-de la Rosa, Jose L. del Rio-Vazquez, Maria Torrecillas-Lopez, Elvira Marquez-Paradas, Carmen M. Claro-Cala, Sergio Montserrat-de la Paz and Maria D. Navarro-Hortal
Nutrients 2026, 18(14), 2235; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18142235 - 9 Jul 2026
Viewed by 2465
Abstract
Olive oil, particularly virgin (VOO) and extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), is a central component of the Mediterranean diet and has been associated with cardiometabolic, anti-inflammatory, and intestinal health benefits. Increasing evidence suggests that these effects may involve interactions with the gut microbiota, intestinal [...] Read more.
Olive oil, particularly virgin (VOO) and extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), is a central component of the Mediterranean diet and has been associated with cardiometabolic, anti-inflammatory, and intestinal health benefits. Increasing evidence suggests that these effects may involve interactions with the gut microbiota, intestinal barrier, and host inflammatory pathways. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the impact of olive oil, olive-derived phenolics, and olive oil-rich dietary patterns on gut microbiota modulation, barrier function, inflammatory bowel diseases, and related systemic outcomes. The available literature indicates that olive oil may interact with the gut ecosystem through both its oleic acid-rich lipid matrix and its minor phenolic fraction. VOO and EVOO appear more consistently associated than refined oils with microbial or microbial metabolite profiles related to saccharolytic metabolism, short-chain fatty acid production, mucus-layer dynamics, and anti-inflammatory intestinal environments. Olive-derived phenolics, including hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, oleuropein derivatives, and oleocanthal, can undergo microbial biotransformation and may influence bile acid metabolism, epithelial barrier integrity, and inflammatory signaling. Whole EVOO evidence is strongest in experimental colitis models, whereas human evidence mainly supports effects on postprandial endotoxemia, lipid oxidation, and selected inflammatory markers. However, findings remain heterogeneous and depend on oil quality, phenolic composition, comparator fat, dietary context, and host condition. Well-controlled human studies directly comparing EVOO, VOO, refined olive oil, and oleic acid-rich controls are needed to clarify reproducible microbiota-mediated effects and their relevance to intestinal and systemic health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Olive Oil on Human Health)
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