Olive Oil Might Help Heart Cope with Air Pollution

Olive oil might help protect the heart from the negative effects of air pollution, a new study says.

Air pollution is associated with several health problems. Research has shown that poor quality air with high levels of tiny particulate matter can lead to cardiovascular diseases. Some 9,000 people in California prematurely die due to particulate air pollution.

Epidemiological studies have shown that fish oil supplements might prevent some negative effects of breathing polluted air. Researchers believe that these fatty acids in these oils protect the heart by relaxing the blood vessels and the nervous system that controls blood pressure.

"Exposure to airborne particulate matter can lead to endothelial dysfunction, a condition in which the endothelium (inner lining) of blood vessels does not function normally, which is a risk factor for clinical cardiovascular events and progression of atherosclerosis," said Dr. Haiyan Tong, MD, PhD, a research biologist with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, lead author of the study.

Researchers wanted to know whether fish or olive oil indirectly helped heart cope with air pollution.

The study was based on data from 42 healthy adults who were given either 3 gram/day of olive oil, fish oil or no pills for four weeks. The subjects then underwent controlled 2-hour exposures to filtered air. The next day, these participants were exposed to tiny particulate matter in concentrations that are normally found in environment - around 253±16 µg/m3.

Researchers looked at the function of endothelium before and after air exposure. The team found that people who took olive oil supplements had better protection against the effects of particulate matter than those who had fish oil or people who didn't get any supplements at all.

The study also found that the levels of tissue plasminogen - a protein involved in breaking down blood clots - increased in people on olive oil pills. Using olive oil also led to changes in blood marker levels that regulate the constriction of blood vessels and clot formation.

Researchers are conducting further tests to determine how olive oil affects heart health.

"Our study suggests that use of olive oil supplements may protect against the adverse vascular effects of exposure to air pollution particles," said Dr. Tong, according to a news release. "If these results are replicated in further studies, use of these supplements might offer a safe, low cost, and effective means of counteracting some of the health consequences of exposure to air pollution.

The study was presented at the 2014 American Thoracic Society International Conference.