4. Olive oil consumption may help to reduce the risk of heart disease
According to research, the consumption of more olive oil is related to less risk of heart attack, particularly when using it as a replacement for butter, margarine, or mayonnaise.
After accounting for lifestyle and diet factors, it was discovered that individuals who consumed more than half a tablespoon of olive oil on a daily basis had a 15% reduction in risk of any type of cardiovascular disease as well as a 21% reduced coronary heart disease risk.1✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.02.036
It was also discovered that replacing 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise, margarine, butter, or dairy fat with the identical quantity of olive oil reduced the risk of any cardiovascular disease by 5% and reduced the risk of coronary heart disease by 7%. When the study started in 1990, many margarine brands were however comprised of substantial quantities of trans-fatty acids, so the results wouldn’t apply to most of the vegetable margarine brands available today.
This study happened from 1990 to 2014 and included 35,512 men and 63,867 women. All individuals were free from heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases at the beginning of the study. All individuals answered questionnaires about their lifestyle and diet every 4 years for about 30 years.
Statistical models were also made use of for comparing the cardiovascular health benefits of olive oil with other combined plant oils like canola, corn, soybean, and safflower. Although this study shows that olive oil was superior to most animal fats and margarine, it wasn’t better than vegetable oils.
The study results were observational, meaning they don’t prove cause and effect. Other small intervention studies have however shown the benefits on blood lipids by the replacement of animal fats with olive oil.
