It is not often that someone figures out how to turn an industrial by-product into a health product. But biochemist Roberto Crea, PhD, has always had a knack for seeing possibilities invisible to others.

Having served as one of the scientific directors of Genentech, the pioneering biotech firm, Dr. Crea was instrumental in developing Humulin and other cutting edge therapeutic advances. But while biotech was financially rewarding, he longed to do something more down-to-earth, holistic, and reflective of his Italian origin. The good-natured biochemist found a new calling in the olive groves that have sustained Mediterranean life for millennia.

Everyone knows olives are healthy. For years, their cardiovascular and antioxidant benefits were largely attributed to oleic acid. But more recently, researchers have turned their attention to the phenolic compounds in this bountiful fruit. Olives contain more than 30 polyphenols, many of which are strong antioxidants, and these may prove more therapeutically significant than oleic acid.

In an interview with Holistic Primary Care, Dr. Crea explained that polyphenols are much more soluble in water than in lipids. They are present at less than 1% in olive oil. When olives are pressed, most of the polyphenols are lost in the water. Given that 50% of an olive’s weight is water, the olive oil industry inevitably generates huge quantities of mill water. Italy alone dumps more than 800,000 metric tons of olive mill water every year.

This water is actually a significant environmental problem in olive producing regions. Once pressed, the polyphenols—especially those from the crushed pits—will polymerize, reducing their antioxidant activity. Olive water rapidly oxidizes, turns black and grows microorganisms. In essence, it becomes a pollutant.

In a classic example of one man gathering what another man spills (in large quantities), Dr. Crea sought a way to depolymerize and harvest the valuable antioxidants from what was previously considered a useless waste.

His breakthrough came in two stages. First, he invented a process for de-pitting olives before they are pressed, thus eliminating some of the polymerizing effects of polyphenols. Then he found a way to stabilize the water and extract the polyphenols. The patented process involves the addition of citric acid, with a pH of 3–3.5. The water becomes stable and can be stored for decades,” he said, adding that the citric acid–olive water combination happens to taste remarkably like Bitter Lemon, the popular European soft-drink.

The citric acid also makes it easy to extract hydroxytyrosol, the key polyphenol in olive water. Hydroxytyrosol is the most potent natural antioxidant ever reported. Its Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is six times greater than lutein and lycopene, the highly touted antioxidants in berries and tomatoes, and 20 times greater than β-carotene. It also happens to be one of the most bioavailable of the naturally occurring antioxidants. “All antioxidants are not created equal.”

Dr. Crea noted that olive trees are extremely resistant to disease, insects and damage due to temperature extremes. He believes this is largely due to hydroxytyrosol, and its ability to reduce oxidative stress.

He initially hoped he would interest Mediterranean olive oil producers in his discoveries. But like many large companies, they were resistant to change. He found more fertile ground in California, where a burgeoning olive industry made up largely of small producers was open to change and eager to define a distinctive California-style flavor.

He established his new company, CreAgri, Inc., on a vast ranch planted with 7,000 olive trees. The olives are grown organically, and CreAgri has its own facility for processing the mill water and extracting the hydroxytyrosol, marketing it as a new dietary supplement called Olivenol®. The compound is also available as an ingredient called Hidrox™, which CreAgri licenses to other manufacturers for applications from nutraceuticals and functional foods to personal care products.

As a nutraceutical, hydroxytyrosol has numerous applications. It can prevent lipid peroxidation, particularly oxidation of LDL, thus reducing the risk of coronary artery disease. It has antimicrobial activities, and has been shown to inhibit in vitro growth of salmonella, cholerae, various species of staphylococcus and pseudomonas, as well as viruses such as influenza. Dr. Crea suggested that in addition to the therapeutic potential this implies, hydroxytyrosol may be useful as a natural food preservative.

He believes it will also prove useful in preventing various forms of cancer. It can inhibit reactive oxygen species associated with colorectal and prostate cancers, as well as reducing oxidative stress due to passive smoking. If applied topically, it could reduce free-radical generation secondary to UV light exposure, thus reducing risk of skin cancer.

Dawn McGuire, MD, at California-Pacific Medical Center’s Institute for HIV Research and Treatment is studying the compound in the prevention of free-radical damage that occurs with HIV-associated brain and neural pathology.

CreAgri recently obtained $8.3 million in venture capital, and the company is now funding human studies looking at the effect of hydroxytyrosol in a number of disorders, including diabetes and arthritis. Hydroxytyrosol has anti-inflammatory properties, with strong potential as a natural therapy for psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and arthritis. “There are between 70 and 80 million people with arthritis, all of whom could benefit from an effective, non-toxic, natural anti-inflammatory.”

Through CreAgri, Dr. Crea has been able to knit together many of the loves of his life: science, medicine, good food, ecology, and his Mediterranean heritage. In addition to offering health benefits, his discoveries may even influence olive agriculture worldwide. “The European olive oil industry is dominated by two major multinationals. There’s a tremendous crisis for small producers. In Italy, thousands of small family businesses have abandoned making olive oil. By making it possible to generate revenue from the olive oil byproducts we can bring back the possibility of small family-owned businesses.”