Drizzling olive oil on your meals could reduce your risk of early death, according to a large new study
- Replacing butter, margarine, or mayonnaise with olive oil could reduce your risk of early death, according to researchers.
- A newly published large-scale study found that consuming even 1 tsp a day is linked to a longer life.
Replacing butter, margarine, mayonnaise or other dairy fat sources with olive oil could reduce your risk of death, according to new large-scale research.
Consuming more than half a tablespoon daily is linked to a 19% lower risk of death from all causes, according to data from a 28-year study of nearly 100,000 people published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in January 2022.
Study participants who consumed more olive oil had lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and respiratory disease compared to those who never or rarely consumed it, according to the report.
Participants tracked their food intake and filled out a questionnaire every four years between 1990 and 2018. Consuming even 1 tsp of olive oil daily was associated with a 12% reduction in death risk.
Swedish epidemiologist Susanna Larsson pointed out in her editorial comment on the study that they also found a "significant" 27% reduction in risk of dementia-related mortality between those who consumed the most and the least olive oil.
Other vegetable oils may not have the same benefits
While dairy, like butter, contains some vitamins like A, D, E, and K, the researchers found olive oil — which is rich in heart healthy unsaturated fats — to be a healthier source of fat. Specifically, they found that other vegetable oils were not linked to the same lower risk of mortality as olive oil.
Despite researchers trying to account for other dietary and lifestyle factors, Larsson points out that the results cannot prove that consuming olive oil definitely causes lower death risk.
While more research is needed, the latest study adds to a large existing body of evidence that olive oil has health benefits. The oil is a key part of the Mediterranean diet, which is regularly touted as one of the healthiest ways to eat.