Researchers from La Trobe University have found that extra virgin olive oil rich in polyphenols may help lower blood pressure in healthy adults.
The study, led by Katerina Sarapis and published in Nutrients, examined the cardiovascular effects of high-polyphenol olive oil—a key component of the Mediterranean diet.
Extra virgin olive oil is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, widely produced in countries such as Spain, Italy, and Greece.
Unlike refined olive oils, extra virgin olive oil is obtained through natural mechanical processes that preserve beneficial nutrients and antioxidants found in olives.
This oil contains more than 30 phenolic compounds—plant-based antioxidants that help protect cells from oxidative stress caused by free radicals.
Polyphenols are naturally occurring micronutrients found in plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, tea, and spices. In extra virgin olive oil, key polyphenols include oleacein, tyrosol, and hydroxytyrosol.
High-polyphenol olive oil is generally defined as containing at least 250 milligrams of polyphenols per kilogram of oil. These compounds are believed to contribute to the oil’s anti-inflammatory and heart-protective properties.
To investigate the health effects of polyphenol content, researchers conducted a controlled study involving 50 healthy adults.
Participants consumed either:
- 60 mL per day of high-polyphenol olive oil (360 mg/kg polyphenols), or
- 60 mL per day of low-polyphenol olive oil (86 mg/kg polyphenols)
for three weeks. After a two-week washout period, participants switched to the alternate oil.
Researchers measured body composition, peripheral blood pressure, central blood pressure, and arterial stiffness before and after each intervention.
The results showed that consuming high-polyphenol olive oil led to significant reductions in systolic blood pressure:
- Peripheral systolic blood pressure decreased by 2.5 mmHg
- Central systolic blood pressure decreased by 2.7 mmHg
However, neither type of olive oil significantly affected diastolic blood pressure or arterial stiffness.
Blood pressure readings consist of two numbers:
- Systolic pressure: The pressure in arteries when the heart contracts
- Diastolic pressure: The pressure when the heart relaxes between beats
Lowering systolic blood pressure is particularly important because elevated levels are strongly linked to cardiovascular risk.
The researchers concluded that high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil may help reduce systolic blood pressure and potentially lower the risk of heart disease in healthy individuals.
They suggest that longer-term studies and higher polyphenol doses could clarify whether similar benefits extend to diastolic blood pressure and arterial stiffness.
Incorporating high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil into the diet may offer a simple, natural way to support cardiovascular health. However, further research is needed to fully understand its long-term effects and broader health benefits.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that could increase high blood pressure risk, and eating eggs in a healthy diet may reduce risks of diabetes, high blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and results showing DASH diet is good for your blood pressure, and vegetable diet may reduce heart disease risk.
