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New research shows further health benefits of olive oil

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From brain and heart health to overall longevity, experts are finding more and more reason to include this staple of Mediterranean and Cretan cuisine in your diet.

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Consuming olive oil could even reduce the risk of dementia, according to the latest scientific studies. (Envato Elements pic)

A staple of the Mediterranean and Cretan diets, olive oil has been the subject of one scientific study after another, highlighting its positive effects on the brain and heart, and on longevity.

With antioxidants, monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, the composition of olive oil – which may vary according to climate or olive variety – is rich in (mostly) health-promoting fats, according to the latest scientific research.

So, while you don’t have to eat it morning, noon and night, olive oil is well worth including as part of your daily food intake. Here are three good reasons to make olive oil part of your diet.

Reduced dementia risk

Presented last month at Nutrition 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, a new study highlights the virtues of olive oil for brain health.

After analysing dietary questionnaires and the death records of more than 90,000 Americans over three decades, researchers suggest that consuming more than half a tablespoon of olive oil daily could be associated with a 28% lower risk of fatal dementia, compared with little or no consumption.

More than 55 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Our study reinforces dietary guidelines recommending vegetable oils such as olive oil, and suggests that these recommendations not only support heart health but potentially brain health as well.

“Opting for olive oil, a natural product, instead of fats such as margarine and commercial mayonnaise is a safe choice and may reduce the risk of fatal dementia,” said Anne-Julie Tessier, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health.

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Experts recommend replacing margarine or butter with olive oil for greater health benefits. (Envato Elements pic)

She points out, however, that this is observational research, which does not prove that olive oil is directly responsible for reducing the risk of fatal dementia. Still, the findings do lend weight to the idea that olive oil can help support a healthy diet.

Preserved heart health

Olive oil may be beneficial in protecting the heart from certain diseases, according to a study published last year in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, which approaches the subject from a slightly different angle.

More than 60,000 women and over 31,000 men free of cardiovascular disease at the start of the research were followed for 28 years, with a questionnaire on their diet every four years.

The study showed that consumption of more than 7g of olive oil a day – again equivalent to more than half a tablespoon – was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular mortality (19%), cancer mortality (17%), and also of mortality from neurodegenerative disease (29%), compared with occasional or no consumption.

“Our findings support current dietary recommendations to increase the intake of olive oil and other unsaturated vegetable oils,” said study lead author Marta Guasch-Ferré, of Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health.

This research also found that people who consumed more olive oil were more likely to be physically active, less likely to smoke, and more inclined to eat more fruit and vegetables.

Greater longevity

The same 2022 study came to the conclusion that a high consumption of olive oil – meaning more than half a tablespoon a day – could help people live longer. This may be especially true if the olive oil in question replaces other forms of fat, such as butter, margarine or mayonnaise.

“Clinicians should be counselling patients to replace certain fats, such as margarine and butter, with olive oil to improve their health,” Guasch-Ferré pointed out.

In conclusion to their research, the scientists point out that olive oil’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties could make a major contribution to maintaining good health.

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