The benefits of having a Mediterranean diet have long been touted by nutritionists, especially on people's heart health. Now, a new study adds to the growing literature of its benefits but focuses on what olive oil can do to the body.
The study revealed that higher amounts of this Mediterranean diet staple could reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and many others. Researchers of the study recommend swapping butter or other artery-clogging fats with olive oil for a healthier heart and add more years in life.
Is Olive Oil An Elixir of Life? Study Shows This Mediterranean Diet Staple Promotes Longevity, Lowers Risks of Diseases
More Olive Oil Means Longer Life
In the study, titled "Consumption of Olive Oil and Risk of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality Among U.S. Adults," published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), researchers analyzed the data from more than 90,000 people from the long-term health studies Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
All participants did not have any cardiovascular disease or cancer when the study started in 1990. Researchers would weigh them every four years within the 28-year follow-up period about their diet.
According to WebMD, researchers looked into the type and amount of oil each participant consumes, such as olive oil, margarine, butter, and vegetable oil. During the entire study period, about 36,856 people have died.
But analysis showed that people who consumed more than 1/2 a tablespoon a day of olive oil had 19% lower chances of premature death due to cardiovascular diseases, while they also had a 17% lower risk of dying from cancer, a 29% lower risk of dying from Alzheimer's disease, and 18% reduced risk of dying from lung disease.
Moreover, researchers created statistical models that simulate what would happen if people consumed 3/4 of a tablespoon of olive oil instead of margarine, butter, and other vegetable oils. It showed that the chances of dying from all causes significantly reduced, but substituting olive oil for canola, safflower, and soybean did not have the same effect.
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Olive Oil Consumption Linked to Reduced Risk of Alzheimer's Disease
Epidemiologist Dr. Susana Larsson from Uppsala University in Sweden commented on the findings of the study, saying that the association between lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and olive oil consumption is a novel finding.
In her editorial, she wrote that the results confirmed olive oil's great public health importance given the lack of preventative strategies for Alzheimer's disease and its high morbidity and mortality rate.
Research scientist Marta Guasch Ferré from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and one of the authors of the study told USA Today that people should at least have three to four tablespoons of olive oil per day. She also suggested reducing the use of butter, mayonnaise, and other animal fats in cooking.
What's the Link Between Olive Oil and Health?
Despite the positive association between olive oil and health, researchers said that their study does not show any causality between the two factors. Associate Professor Deborah Cohen told Health that a cause-and-effect relationship can only be evaluated in randomized controlled trials, which are very challenging, expensive, and would take a lot of time to do.
Cohen pointed out that there are a lot of factors in play and not only the consumption of olive oil. That includes lifestyle behaviors, dietary habits, and genetics. Therefore, it is tough to ignore confounding variables that may have affected the results.
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