Scientists from Harvard University and elsewhere found that higher olive oil intake may help lower heart disease risk in U.S. men and women.
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil.
Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids. When substituted for saturated fat, monounsaturated fats help lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol.
Extra virgin olive oil can reduce inflammation, which may be one of the main reasons for its health benefits. Olive oil’s main anti-inflammatory effects are from antioxidants, one of which is oleocanthal.
In addition, the antioxidants in olive oil can reduce oxidative damage due to free radicals, believed to be one driver of cancer.
Olive oil intake has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease in Mediterranean populations, but little is known about these associations in the U.S population.
The research was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and was conducted by Marta Guasch-Ferré et al.
In the current study, researchers aimed to examine whether olive oil intake is associated with heart disease and stroke risks.
They analyzed data from 61,181 women from the Nurses’ Health Study (1990 to 2014) and 31,797 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1990 to 2014).
These people were free of cancer, heart disease, and stroke before the study.
These people’s diet was assessed using food questionnaires before the study and then every 4 years.
During 24 years of follow-up, the team found 6,034 heart disease cases and 3,802 stroke cases.
They showed that people with higher olive oil intake (>0.5 tablespoon/day or >7 g/day) had an 18% lower risk of heart disease. No strong links were found for stroke risks.
The researchers also found that replacing 5 g/day of margarine, butter, mayonnaise, or dairy fat with the equivalent amount of olive oil was linked to a 5% to 7% lower risk of heart disease.
No strong associations were found when olive oil was compared with other plant oils combined.
Finally, the team found higher olive oil intake was linked to lower levels of circulating inflammatory biomarkers and a better blood fat level.
Based on these findings, the team suggests that higher olive oil intake is linked to a lower risk of heart disease in U.S. men and women.
The substitution of margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and dairy fat with olive oil could lead to a lower risk of heart disease.
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