The consumption of olive oil reduces the risk of death from any cause

Apr 12 , 2022

Emmanuel Lugo

The consumption of olive oil reduces the risk of death from any cause

An analysis of data from two large, long-term studies that followed a total of 92,000 men and women in the United States for 28 years found that consuming at least 1⁄2 tablespoon (7 grams) of olive oil daily was associated with a 19% lower risk of cardiovascular death, a 17% lower risk of death from cancer, a 29% lower risk of death from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and an 18% lower risk of death from respiratory disease , compared with no consumption or rare consumption of olive oil.


The researchers estimated that every 10 grams of margarine, butter, mayonnaise, or butterfat that was replaced each day with an equivalent amount of olive oil was associated with a 13% to 20% lower risk of death from any cause, although a similar benefit was seen when replacing these fats with other oils (corn, safflower, soybean, and canola) (Guasch-Ferre, J Am Coll Cardiol 2022).

Consuming olive oil as part of a Mediterranean diet may also help slow the progression of atherosclerosis, according to some research. The FDA allows pure olive oil products to carry that claim.

To achieve this potential benefit, olive oil must replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day" (FDA 2004).

Consuming at least 1⁄2 tablespoon (7 grams) of olive oil daily has been associated with a 19% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease (Guasch-Ferre, J Am Coll Cardiol 2022).

An earlier analysis by the same researchers showed that consumption of this amount of olive oil was also associated with a 21% lower risk of coronary heart disease (Guasch, Circulation 2020).