When we think of olives, we usually think of oil.
But there’s more to olives than just oil. Recent research has shown that something usually thrown away when making olive oil can help people who exercise.
What Did the Study Find?
Scientists at Anglia Ruskin University studied a waste product from making olive oil. This waste water from olives is known as olive fruit water.
It is filled with good things called polyphenols that can help our bodies. One product made from this waste water is called OliPhenolia.
The scientists asked 29 people to try OliPhenolia or a fake product for 16 days. They then looked at how these people did in running tests.
The people who took OliPhenolia found it easier to breathe when they started exercising and used less oxygen when running at a comfortable pace. They also felt less tired and recovered better after exercise.
Why is This Important?
Dr. Justin Roberts, who led the study, explained why this is exciting. He said he has always been interested in how certain natural things, like cherries and beetroot, help with exercise.
But to get the same benefit from olives, people would have to eat a lot of them every day. That’s not easy. This is why they tested the olive waste water.
The best part is that this olive fruit water is usually thrown away. But a farm in Italy found a way to turn it into something useful for our health.
Dr. Roberts said their study is the first to see if this product helps people who exercise. They found that after just over two weeks of taking it, people could run better without getting as tired, especially at easy speeds.
Now, the scientists want to do more studies. They hope to see if OliPhenolia can help people training for long runs like marathons. They also want to check if it can help reduce swelling after exercising.
Who Helped with the Study?
Dr. Roberts wasn’t alone in this study. He worked with two other researchers, Jorge Pinto and Joe Lillis. People interested in all the details can find them in a magazine called Nutrients.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies that vitamin D can help reduce inflammation, and vitamin K may lower your heart disease risk by a third.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about foods that could sharp your brain, and results showing cooking food in this way may raise your risk of blindness.
The study was published in Nutrients.
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