Scientists from Harvard University and elsewhere found that olive oil intake is linked to lower death risks.
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.
It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods or as a salad dressing.
Olive oil is a healthy fat that contains anti-inflammatory compounds. It has been shown to lower heart disease risk, but its associations with death risks are unclear.
In the current study, researchers aimed to evaluate whether olive oil intake is linked to total and cause-specific deaths in U.S. men and women.
They examined total and cause-specific deaths among more than 60,000 women (Nurses’ Health Study, 1990-2018) and more than 31,000 men (Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 1990-2018) who were free of heart disease or cancer at the beginning.
These people’s diet was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire every 4 years.
The team found during 28 years of follow-up, 36,856 deaths occurred.
The all-cause death among people who had the highest intake of olive oil was lower compared with those who never or rarely consumed olive oil.
Higher olive oil intake was also linked to a 19% lower risk of heart disease mortality, a 17% lower risk of cancer mortality, a 29% lower risk of neurodegenerative disease mortality, and an 18% lower risk of respiratory disease mortality.
The team also found that replacing 10 g/d of margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and dairy fat with the equivalent amount of olive oil was linked to 8%-34% lower risks of death.
No strong effects were observed when olive oil was compared with other vegetable oils combined.
Based on the findings, the team suggests that higher olive oil intake is linked to lower risks of death. Replacing margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and dairy fat with olive oil is linked to lower risks of mortality.
The research was published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology and conducted by Marta Guasch-Ferré et al.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health and the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about plant nutrients that could help reduce high blood pressure, and these antioxidants could help lower dementia risk.
Copyright © 2022 Scientific Diet. All rights reserved.
