Scientists from the University of Rome Tor Vergata and elsewhere found that extra virgin olive oil may prevent heart disease in people with chronic kidney disease.
Chronic kidney disease means your kidneys are damaged and can’t filter blood the way they should.
The main risk factors for developing kidney disease are diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a family history of kidney failure.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of kidney disease.
Your healthcare provider may do tests to find out why you have kidney disease. The cause of your kidney disease may affect the type of treatment you receive.
The high death risk related to chronic kidney disease is not only due to the disease itself. In fact, chronic kidney disease also is an important risk factor for heart disease death.
Previous research has found that in foods that may have heart-protecting benefits, extra virgin olive oil plays a pivotal health-promoting role.
Regardless of the type, olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, containing about 75% by volume. When substituted for saturated fat, monounsaturated fats help lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol.
The health benefits of olive oil have been attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Extra-virgin olive oil does offer something extra that regular olive oil does not.
Extra-virgin olive oil is pressed mechanically from ripe olives and processed without high heat or chemical solvents. This protects chemicals in the oil called phenols.
In the current study, researchers aimed to evaluate the possible heart-protective effects of extra virgin olive oil. It contains a very high content of minor phenolic compounds.
The team tested 40 chronic kidney disease patients under conservative therapy. All of the patients consumed 40 mL/day of raw extra virgin olive oil for 9 weeks.
The researchers found a decrease in inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress biomarkers. They also found improvements in lipid and purine metabolism and body composition.
Based on the findings, the team concludes that extra virgin olive oil can provide heart-protective benefits to people with chronic kidney disease.
The research was published in Nutrients and conducted by Giulia Marrone et al.
Copyright © 2023 Scientific Diet. All rights reserved.
