Yes!
Olive oil is a fundamental component of the Mediterranean diet and has traditionally been used as the principal cooking and dressing fat in Mediterranean countries. It is well-known for its health advantages and has grown in popularity globally in recent decades. Olive oil has a high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids, particularly oleic acid, as well as other minor components such as vitamin E and polyphenols, which contribute to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities.
According to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers, people who consumed more than 7 g (>1/2 tablespoon) of olive oil may have a lower risk of premature death overall and from specific causes such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease, when compared to people who never or almost never consume olive oil. According to the study, substituting around 10 g of margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and dairy fat per day with the equal quantity of olive oil is also related with a decreased risk of death.
This is the first long-term observational research in the United States on olive oil use and death. The majority of prior research on olive oil and health has been on people from Europe and the Mediterranean, where intake of olive oil is higher.
Participants in this new study came from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The trial included 60,582 women and 31,801 men who were free of cardiovascular disease and cancer at the start of the study in 1990. A questionnaire was used to analyse diet every four years during the 28-year follow-up period. The questionnaire inquired how frequently they consumed particular foods, fats, and oils on average, as well as which brand or type of oils they used for cooking and adding to the table the previous year. The total of three questionnaire answers was used to quantify olive oil consumption: olive oil used for salad dressings, olive oil applied to meals or bread, and olive oil used for baking and frying at home.
Olive oil consumption was categorized as follows:
- Never or <1 time per month
- >0 to ≤4.5 g/day (>0 to ≤1 teaspoon)
- >4.5 to ≤7 g/day (>1 teaspoon to ≤1/2 tablespoon)
- >7 g/day (>1/2 tablespoon)
People who consumed the most olive oil (more than 7 g per day) had a 19% lower risk of total and cardiovascular disease mortality, a 17% lower risk of cancer mortality, a 29% lower risk of neurodegenerative mortality, and an 18% lower risk of respiratory mortality when compared to those who never or rarely consumed olive oil. When compared to margarine, butter, mayonnaise, or dairy fat, olive oil was related with a reduced risk of total and cause-specific mortality, while no substantial risk reduction was detected when compared to other vegetable oils.
"The findings back the existing dietary advice to consume more olive oil and other unsaturated vegetable oils. Clinicians can advise patients to substitute specific fats, such as margarine and butter, with olive oil to enhance their health," said Marta Guasch-Ferré, PhD, senior research scientist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Department of Nutrition and the study's principal author. "Our research helps to offer clear suggestions that patients may easily grasp and hopefully incorporate into their diets."
