Can Olive Oil Help Protect Against Disease, Including Neuro-Degeneration?
Olive oil is a key component of the Mediterranean diet, and contains many health benefits.
Two ongoing prospective cohort studies investigated whether olive oil intake is associated with total and cause-specific mortality in 92,383 participants, who were free of cardiovascular disease or cancer at baseline.
Diet was assessed every four years, and every 2 years participants provided co-variable updates, such as body weight, smoking status, and physical activity.
During 28 years of follow-up, 36,856 deaths occurred.
After adjusting for potentially confounding factors the study found that higher olive oil intake (>0.5 tablespoon/day) was associated with 19% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.
There was also a 17% lower risk of cancer mortality, and a 29% lower risk of neurodegenerative disease mortality.
After analysis, researchers estimated that replacing 10 grams of margarine per day with 10 grams of olive oil was associated with a 13% lower risk of total mortality.
Further still, replacing 10 grams per day of butter, mayonnaise, and dairy fat with the equivalent amount of olive oil was associated with a 14%, 19%, and 13% lower risk of total mortality, respectively.
References
PMID: 35027106
