The study, which was led by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, studied over the 28 years the health and diet of 60,582 women and 31,801 men in the United States from 1990 to 2018. “This new research, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests the potential of including olive oil in your diet”.Said USA TODAY
The results draw positive attention to olive oil lovers: those who said they consumed more than half a tablespoon of olive oil a day had a 19% lower risk of all causes of death, as well as a 19% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, compared to those who rarely or never drank olive oil.
Among their findings were that those who consumed olive oil on a daily basis saw a 29% reduced risk of death from neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The researchers also found that olive oil consumption was associated with a 17% lower risk of death from cancer and an 18% lower risk of death from respiratory diseases.
Benefits of olive oil consumption: lower risk of death from neurodegenerative disorders, cancer and respiratory diseases.
Dr. Susanna Larsson, an epidemiologist at Uppsala University (Sweden) states in an accompanying editorial entitled “Can small amounts of olive oil keep death at bay?” that there is an association with a lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
“Considering the lack of preventive strategies for Alzheimer’s disease and the high morbidity and mortality associated with this disease, this finding, if confirmed, is of great public health importance,” Larsson said.
