It ’ s also healthier than butter , margarine , and dairy fat

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that replacing about 10 grams of margarine , butter , mayonnaise , and dairy fat with the same amount of olive oil every day is linked to lower mortality risk . In particular , this was due to a decreased risk of dying from a variety of conditions like cardiovascular disease , cancer , neurodegenerative disease , and respiratory disease .

“ Our findings support current dietary recommendations to increase the intake of olive oil and other unsaturated vegetable oils ,” said Dr Marta Guasch-Ferré , one of the study authors and a research scientist at the Harvard T . H . Chan School of Public Health , in a news release . “ Clinicians should be counseling patients to replace certain fats , such as margarine and butter , with olive oil to improve their health .”

Dr Guasch-Ferré and her colleagues sifted through data from 60,582 women and 31,801 men , assessing their diet every four years over the course of a 28- year follow-up . They observed that participants who consumed more olive oil were often more physically active , had Southern European or Mediterranean ancestry , were less likely to smoke , and ate more fruits and vegetables than those who consumed less olive oil .

Participants who consumed the greatest amount of olive oil ate an average of nine grams per day and saw a lower risk of cardiovascular death by 19 percent , of cancer mortality by 17 percent , and a decreased chance of dying of neurodegenerative and respiratory diseases by 29 and 18 percent , respectively , compared to those who rarely or never had olive oil .

It ’ s worth noting that the researchers couldn ’ t find similar beneficial associations with other types of vegetable oils .

One explanation for the difference in mortality and disease incidence could be that olive oil consumption often goes hand in hand with a more comprehensive healthy diet . Olive oil is a staple food in the

Mediterranean diet , which has been shown to protect against heart disease while lengthening lifespans because it involves eating beneficial foods like fish , nuts , fruits , and vegetables . And while the researchers took these foods into account , they still found a strong association between olive oil by itself and health benefits .

“ It ’ s possible that higher olive oil consumption is a marker of an overall healthier diet and higher socioeconomic status . However , even after adjusting for these and other social economic status factors , our results remained largely the same ,” said Dr Guasch- Ferré . Despite the findings , more research is still needed . “ The current study and previous studies have found that consumption of olive oil may have health benefits . However , several questions remain . Are the associations causal or spurious ? Is olive oil consumption protective for certain cardiovascular diseases , such as stroke and atrial fibrillation , only or also for other major diseases and causes of death ? What is the amount of olive oil required for a protective effect ?” wrote Dr Susanna Larsson , associate professor at the Department of Surgical Sciences at Uppsala University , in an accompanying editorial .

“ Our findings support current dietary recommendations to increase the intake of olive oil and other unsaturated vegetable oils ”

18 ISSUE 5 | 2022 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com