New olive oil study vs. dairy reinforces Mediterranean diet benefits for patients

The Mediterranean diet and increasing olive oil intake can help reduce mortality from heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and neurodegenerative disease

The Mediterranean diet has long been promoted for its many health benefits, one of the most well-researched being a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. According to a recent study, having a higher olive oil intake — which is consistent with the Mediterranean diet — is also connected with a lower mortality rate from multiple causes, further strengthening the value of this dietary plan.

Olive oil and mortality: study results

In early January 2022, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology published a study that assessed two cohorts: the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The goal was to determine whether there was an association between olive oil intake and mortality rates.

Together, these cohorts followed a total of 92,383 subjects over 28 years (from 1990-2018). At the beginning of the study period, no subjects had cardiovascular disease or cancer. Dietary assessments were conducted every four years and, if death occurred, the cause of that death was recorded.

During the study period, 36,856 deaths were noted. However, those with higher olive oil intakes had a lower risk of death from a variety of specific causes. In addition to a 19% lower risk of mortality due to cardiovascular disease, it was also reported that consuming more olive oil was linked with:

• 17% lower risk of mortality due to cancer
• 18% lower risk of mortality due to respiratory disease
• 29% lower risk of mortality due to neurodegenerative disease

Researchers also did a substitution analysis to learn the effect of not just adding more olive oil to the diet, but to better understand what happens when this oil is a replacement for similar food sources high in saturated fat. They discovered that, when 10 grams of margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and dairy fat were replaced with an equal amount of olive oil each day, total and cause-specific mortality rates reduced between 8% and 34%.

Increasing olive oil intake along Mediterranean diet lines

This new study highlights two important points. The first is that increasing olive oil intake can help reduce mortality from heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and neurodegenerative disease.

If patients don’t currently include a lot of olive oil in their diet, they can increase their intake by making it their cooking or baking oil of choice. Olive oil can be used to sauté vegetables, for instance, or when cooking chicken, fish, or another lean protein in a frying pan.

Another way to increase olive oil consumption is for patients to make their own salad dressing. One benefit of this approach is that it reduces the additives and preservatives they’d consume in a store-bought dressing. It also enables them to add whatever seasonings they like, such as balsamic vinegar, garlic, and mustard. Olive oil is also great as a finishing drizzle on veggies, salads, and bread, providing a bit of extra flavor while also boosting health.

Replacing full-fat dairy with olive oil

The second point highlighted by this study is the benefit of replacing 10 grams of full-fat dairy per day with olive oil. According to the USDA’s nutritional calculations, 10 grams of butter is about two pats, 10 grams of margarine is roughly two-thirds of a tablespoon, and 10 grams of mayonnaise is the equivalent of what you’d get in a takeout packet or a little over two-thirds of a tablespoon.

If replacing these dairy products in a recipe, the amount of olive oil used may need to be adjusted. For instance, if a recipe calls for one cup of butter, this can be replaced with three-quarters of a cup of olive oil (a 3:4 ratio).

It’s also possible to substitute olive oil for mayonnaise. If swapped outright, the patient may miss the creaminess that traditional mayo provides. This problem can be solved by making olive oil mayonnaise.

Several online sites offer a do-it-yourself recipe, most of which include ingredients such as egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and white wine vinegar. Blend them in a food processor, add salt and pepper as desired, and you have your own healthier mayonnaise — a mayonnaise that could potentially help lengthen your life.