Researchers say olive oil, as well as certain vegetable oils, are healthier for your heart than animal-based fats. New research shows that adding olive oil to a diet leads to improved cardiovascular outcomes. While the health benefits of olive oil are well known, researchers found similarly positive results with other healthy vegetable oils. Across the board, vegetable oils represent a healthier form of fat than animal-based fats.
Olive oil is a major component of the Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest overall diets. It’s long been known that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest overall diets. Now, research shines new light on the ways that one of the diet’s main components of olive oil helps boost heart health.
Their analysis of long-term data, dating back to 1990, shows that eating more than 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil per day lowers one’s risk of cardiovascular disease by 15 percent and the risk of coronary heart disease by 21 percent.
Study: Just a Half Tablespoon of Olive Oil Per Day Can Improve Heart Healthhttps://t.co/7Ebp9G4XSh
— About Olive Oil (@About_OliveOil) March 9, 2020
Olive oil is a simple way to replace unhealthy, saturated, and trans-fatty acids of animal fats with a source of omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation and improve cholesterol. It has also been associated with improved vascular function, heart health, and survival.
Animal-based fats such as margarine, butter, dairy fat, and mayonnaise are less healthy than olive oil when it comes to supporting heart health.
While replacing animal fats with healthier alternatives such as olive or vegetable oil is a strong step toward improved cardiovascular health, it’s hardly the be-all and end-all.
Good heart health also includes physical activity, a balanced diet and, ideally, visits with a doctor to stay on track.
Read more: Is olive oil a good moisturizer for your face?
It is likely that those who switched to consuming more olive oil as a substitute for unhealthy fats probably also enacted changes in their lifestyles to consume healthier food and be more active.
Anyone who wants to change their diet to promote better heart health can start by adopting the Mediterranean diet. This diet focuses on unrefined, plant-based foods, along with fish, and of course plenty of olive oil.
The findings are supported by long-standing medical knowledge surrounding the health benefits of olive oil while adding an intriguing wrinkle surrounding the benefits of other vegetable oils.
Read more: Meat, poultry, and fish increase risk of heart diseases, death
There’s a lot of research showing that plant-based foods, including healthier vegetable oils like olive oil, can have benefits for heart health. Butter or other fats, which are high in saturated fats, can be harmful for the heart. It’s better to use olive oil for cooking than other animal fat and it’s also better to have olive oil in ingredients rather than other animal fats.