One of its compounds is said to induce the release of appetite-suppressing hormones.
Making sure not to raise your blood sugar (glycemia) levels excessively is important. This helps reduce the risk of diabetes, weight problems (too much sugar leads to fat storage) and metabolic disorders in general. There are foods to avoid because they raise blood sugar levels too quickly and others to favor because they stabilize them. Among the latter, a molecule called “elenolic acid” could help reduce blood sugar and lose weight.
In a study conducted on obese and diabetic mice, researchers from Virginia Tech University in the United States showed that those who received this compound lost weight and better controlled their blood sugar. “after only one week” they explain in their conclusions. The effect of elenolic acid on reducing sugar was comparable to that of the injectable diabetes drug liraglutide (Victoza® and Saxenda®), and better than that of metformin, an oral drug prescribed for type 2 diabetes. “Available anti-obesity drugs are ineffective in maintaining weight loss, expensive and/or carry potential long-term safety risks. Our goal is to develop safer, less expensive and more convenient multi-targeted agents that can prevent the onset of metabolic disorders and type 2 diabetes.” commented Prof. Dongmin Liu, research team leader in the Department of Human Nutrition, Diet and Exercise at Virginia Tech.
Elenolic acid is found in ripe olives and extra virgin olive oil. It is thought to induce the release of the hormones GLP-1 and PYY in the gut. These hormones work together to promote satiety while controlling blood sugar. “The compound appears to mimic the physiological conditions of feeding to directly promote the secretion of intestinal metabolic hormones, which helps regulate energy balance and metabolic health.” explained Professor Liu. Could eating olives save high blood sugar levels?
The concentration of elenolic acid in olive oil or olives is “very weak”, the researchers answer, so the benefits seen in this study probably couldn’t be achieved by simply consuming these products (you’d have to eat them in large quantities). The research team is now continuing their work to understand how this compound works in the body to ensure its safety for future clinical trials.