Abstract

Multiple lines of converging evidence link polyphenols, particularly hydroxytyrosol, to improved clinical outcomes. In human and animal studies, hydroxytyrosol has been shown to induce beneficial effects on the cardiovascularsystem and exert anti-inflammatory effects. Hydroxytyrosol has also been shown to be a critical regulator of cell signallingpathways that have been implicated in longevity; in a series of experiments, hydroxytyrosol was shown to be superior toresveratrol in preventing cell death and increasing the expression of longevity proteins. In this review article we describe theexperimental and clinical research that has been performed on hydroxytyrosol, and a novel hydroxytyrosol-based product,to highlight the therapeutic potential, across a broad range of disease states, of this polyphenol.