Indigenous Berber tribes of Southern Morocco have been using Argan oil for centuries as part of their daily diet. However, until recently, only very little was known about this unique oil.
Recently, Argan oil has been becoming increasingly popular in Europe and elsewhere. Earlier this year, the World Artisan Guild of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, introduced ARGAND'OR Argan oil, the only Argan oil brand available outside of Morocco that is entirely hand-crafted by women cooperatives. The Berber women in these cooperatives control the whole oil production from harvest to extraction. Different than mechanically produced Argan oil, ARGAND'OR is obtained using traditional techniques and artisan tools such as hand-operated stone mills. With the increased commercial interest in Argan oil, researchers have started to investigate potential health benefits of Argan oil.
An international research team from Germany, France and Morocco found that Argan oil contains more than twice the amount of anti-oxidant tocopherols than olive oil (1). In addition, the researchers identified gamma-tocopherol as Argan oil's main tocopherol vitamer, representing 75% of total tocopherols. The scientists noted that based on previously published studies, gamma-tocopherol may be a far more important anti-oxidant than alpha-tocopherol, the main tocopherol vitamer found in olive oil. According to the report, Argan oil contains more than ten times gamma-tocopherols as compared to olive oil. The team also found that Argan oil contains schottenol and spinasterol, two sterols which are rare in vegetable oils. The authors note that schottenol exhibits an anticarcinogenic potential while spinasterol had been attributed with cholesterol lowering effect based on in-vitro studies.
Spanish and Moroccan researchers investigated blood samples of argan oil users and non-users (2). The analysis revealed that LDL cholesterol ("bad cholesterol") levels were significantly lower in the Argan oil user group than in non-users. In addition, the Vitamin E content in the blood plasma of Argan oil users was significantly elevated compared to non-users, suggesting an anti-oxidant effect of Argan oil.
In a nutritional intervention study with 60 volunteers, researchers confirmed that Argan oil reduces the triglyceride level in blood significantly while increasing the level of HDL cholesterol ("good cholesterol") in the blood serum (3). Analyzing the blood plasma of the volunteers further, the research team noted that they were able to show the powerful anti-oxidant effects of Argan oil in humans (4).
Further clinical research of Argan oil, a food which is still little known amongst the general population, is required to identify and confirm disease prevention properties that can be attributed to this rare oil. However, the composition of Argan oil and the results of the research undertaken so far suggest that Argan oil has benefits that reach far beyond its culinary value.
Cited Studies:
(1)
Khallouki F, et al. (2003). Consumption of argan oil (Morocco) with its unique profile of fatty acids, tocopherols, squalene, sterols and phenolic compounds should confer valuable cancer chemopreventive effects, published in European Journal of Cancer Prevention 12: 67-75
(2)Drissi A, et al. (2004). Evidence of hypolipemant and antioxidant properties of argan oil derived from the argan tree (Argania spinosa), published in Clinical Nutrition 23: 1159-1166
(3)Derouiche A, et al. (2005). Nutritional Intervention Study with argan oil in man: Effects on lipids and apolipoproteins, published in Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism, 49:196-201
(4)Cherki M, et al. (2005). Consumption of argan oil may have an antiatherorgenic effect by improving paraoxonase activities and antioxidant status: Intervention study in healthy men, published in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, 15: 352-360
About World Artisan Guild:
World Artisan Guild LLC is the exclusive US importer of ARGAND'OR Argan oil. ARGAND'OR is the only Argan oil available in the USA that is entirely hand-crafted by the UCFA Berber Women Cooperatives of the UNESCO protected Arganeraie (Morocco). ARGAND'OR is a product of fair trade principles. The oil is cold pressed in stone mills, does not contain any additives and is certified 100% USDA organic.
Contact:
Stefan Hauke
World Artisan Guild LLC
Direct Line: (414) 326-3810
stefan@worldartisanguild.com
