Therapeutic Effects of Olive and Its Derivatives on Osteoarthritis: From Bench to Bedside

Chin KY, Pang KL · Nutrients

A survey of the topic, 14 studies to July 2017. It finds a consistent benefit across animal studies and attributes the chondroprotection to two mechanisms, augmented autophagy via sirtuin-1 and suppressed inflammation. The human side is four reports: three small randomised trials (oral olive water extract for 8 weeks, hydroxytyrosol 10 mg a day for 4 weeks in 25 people, and topical olive oil against piroxicam gel in 60 women) and a five-person uncontrolled ointment study, all short and all scored on questionnaires. It also notes that the one rat study feeding olive oil at a dietary level found no benefit from the oil alone, and that Mediterranean intakes of olive polyphenols sit far below the animal doses.

Population

Animal and human studies of olive and olive derivatives in osteoarthritis and chondrocytes

Intervention

Olive oil, olive leaf extract, and isolated olive polyphenols

Comparator

Varies

Limitations

Narrative review, no pooling or risk-of-bias appraisal. University-funded.