|
|
|
|
|
|
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
|
A higher consumption of olive oil leads to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and premature mortality. This is the conclusion of the largest systematic review and meta-analysis of the available epidemiological evidence to this day on the benefits of olive oil. Published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, this review was carried out by a team of researchers from CIBEROBN, CIBERESP, the University of Navarra, the Institute of Public Health of Navarra, the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Spanish Food Safety Agency.
|
To this purpose, prospective epidemiological studies involving hundreds of thousands of volunteers were analyzed to assess the effect of olive oil on cardiovascular disease (49,223 cases were identified), cancer (58,892 cases), type 2 diabetes (13,389 cases), and mortality (174,081 cases). Based on high quality reports and study designs, it was possible to report the estimated effect of consuming an additional 25 grams per day of olive oil. Among the criteria used in this review, was the inclusion of prospective studies and randomized trials with at least 3 years of follow-up, olive oil consumption had to be quantitatively reported, and the analyses had to be adjusted for multiple confounders.
|
The summary of results from 27 reports included for meta-analysis and 36 reports for review, were that for each additional 25 grams of olive oil per day there was an estimated 16% relative risk reduction for incident cardiovascular disease, 22% relative risk reduction for diabetes, and an 11% relative risk reduction in mortality. This systematic review supports the important results of the Spanish PREDIMED (Prevention with Mediterranean Diet) trial -the only randomized trial included in this review- with more than 7,000 participants and a five-year follow-up, the largest nutrition trial conducted in Europe, and allows recommending olive oil consumption with strong scientific support.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
