A natural substance found in olives could help people lose weight and manage diabetes. Researchers at Virginia Tech discovered that elenolic acid, a compound in olive oil, lowers blood sugar and promotes weight loss in mice. The findings suggest this olive extract may offer a new approach to treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The study gave obese diabetic mice elenolic acid orally for one week. Compared to untreated mice, those receiving the olive compound lost significant weight and showed improved blood sugar control. The effects matched or surpassed common diabetes medications.
“Lifestyle modifications and public health measures have had limited impact on the rising prevalence of obesity, one of the top risk factors for type 2 diabetes,” said research team leader Dongmin Liu, PhD, a professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise at Virginia Tech. “Available obesity drugs are ineffective in weight loss maintenance, expensive and/or carry potential long-term safety risks. Our goal was to develop safer, cheaper and more convenient multi-targeting agents that can prevent the occurrence of metabolic disorders and type 2 diabetes.”
How Elenolic Acid Works
The researchers found elenolic acid stimulates gut cells to release hormones that reduce appetite and regulate blood sugar. These hormones, GLP-1 and PYY, are normally produced during meals to promote feelings of fullness.
In obese diabetic mice, four to five weeks of elenolic acid treatment led to a 10.7% reduction in obesity. The mice’s blood sugar and insulin sensitivity improved to levels matching healthy lean mice. The compound also decreased food intake and increased weight loss.
Potential for Human Use
While promising, the benefits seen in mice would likely not come from eating olives or olive oil alone. The concentration of elenolic acid in these foods is very low. Instead, the researchers synthesized larger amounts of the compound from a precursor molecule.
“Overall, the study showed that elenolic acid from olives has promising effects on hormone release and metabolic health, particularly in obese and diabetic conditions,” said Liu. “The compound seems to mimic the physiological conditions of eating to directly promote gut metabolic hormone secretion, which helps regulate energy balance and metabolic health.”
The team is now studying how elenolic acid moves through the body to better understand its effects and safety. This information will help guide potential future clinical trials in humans.
Hana Alkhalidy, PhD, a research scientist in Liu’s lab, will present the findings at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting, NUTRITION 2024, in Chicago. The results are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
