extra virgin olive oil to protect against kidney damage associated with type 1 diabetes.
In addition to the acute complications of diabetes, long-term hyperglycemia damages the small blood vessels throughout the body. This damage frequently leads to diabetic nephropathy, the chronic loss of kidney function in sufferers of diabetes mellitus and the leading cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease worldwide.
Given that oxidative stress is a fundamental contributor to the formation of kidney lesions in diabetes and that numerous compounds present in extra virgin olive oil are known to exhibit antioxidant effects, the team focused on extra virgin olive oil to mitigate this mechanism’s impact on kidney damage.
Oxidative stress, a common feature in uncontrolled diabetes, induces inflammation, increases glomerular (kidney filtering) volume, impairs glomerular function and elevates urinary protein excretion.
Hydroxytyrosol, a polyphenol and particularly potent antioxidant found in significant concentrations in extra virgin olive oil, has already shown potential in preventing cardiovascular and neural damage in diabetic rats.
