The researchers extracted data from the Nurses’ Health Study Y Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which analyzed more than 60,000 women and more than 31,000 men with healthy hearts. Participants were asked about their dietary choices every four years, over the course of 28 years.
When comparing the type of cooking fat each participant used, as well as the frequency of use, the researchers concluded that eating more than half a tablespoon of olive oil per day supports cardiovascular health outcomes (19%), cognitive function (29%), respiratory health (18 %) and longevity. Additionally, those who replaced margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and milk fat with olive oil had better health outcomes.
It is important to note that the participants with the highest olive oil intake were also physically active, avoided smoking, and ate a lot of fruits and vegetables. “It is possible that higher consumption of olive oil is a marker of an overall healthier diet and a higher socioeconomic status,” study author Marta Guasch-Ferré, Ph.D.said in a Press release. “However, even after adjusting for these and other factors for economic and social status, our results remained largely the same.”
So while the results shed a positive light on olive oil, more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between olive oil consumption, overall health, and longevity.
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