Unlike refined oils, fresh-pressed EVOO is loaded with high levels of polyphenols (antioxidants) and anti-inflammatory
- Protect Your Heart: Dramatically reduces inflammation and lowers "bad" cholesterol.
- Boost Brain Health: May help protect against dementia and cognitive decline.
- Act Like Natural Medicine: Contains oleocanthal, which provides anti-inflammatory benefits similar to ibuprofen.
The team of Spanish researchers published initial findings in the trial that is due to complete next year in
Atherosclerosis, reporting significant improvements in groups eating traditional Mediterranean diets plus VOO or nuts, compared to those on a low-fat diet.
Among the over-55s artery thickness was lower in the VOO and nut groups but only among those who already had somewhat thickened arteries.
One of the researchers, Dr Miguel Angel Martínez-González, from the Department of Preventative Medicine at the University of Navarra, said the findings emphasised the value of dietary versus pharma interventions in
controlling cardiovascular event likelihood.
They showed that, “a modification in the entire diet pattern managed to achieve, in just one year, results that
pharmaceutical drugs did not – even after two years of treatment.”
However, “This improvement was not observed amongst those who did not have thickening of the artery wall at the start of the study.”
The study places each volunteer in one of three groups following a Mediterranean diet with the VOO group
receiving 15 litres of virgin olive oil per three months, a nut group given 30g a day of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts, and a third group given instructions and material to follow a low-fat diet.
“We thus observed who had suffered the greatest thickening of this layer — due to arteriosclerosis — a significant improvement and regression of lesions having taken place in those cases that had followed a
Mediterranean diet enriched with virgin olive oil or nuts,” said Dr Ana Sánchez-Tainta, also from the University of Navarra.
The results showed the nut and VOO groups after three months had improved adolipoprotein ratios that delivered lower heart disease risk for both men and women.
Atherosclerosis, reporting significant improvements in groups eating traditional Mediterranean diets plus VOO or nuts, compared to those on a low-fat diet.
Among the over-55s artery thickness was lower in the VOO and nut groups but only among those who already had somewhat thickened arteries.
One of the researchers, Dr Miguel Angel Martínez-González, from the Department of Preventative Medicine at the University of Navarra, said the findings emphasised the value of dietary versus pharma interventions in
controlling cardiovascular event likelihood.
They showed that, “a modification in the entire diet pattern managed to achieve, in just one year, results that
pharmaceutical drugs did not – even after two years of treatment.”
However, “This improvement was not observed amongst those who did not have thickening of the artery wall at the start of the study.”
The study places each volunteer in one of three groups following a Mediterranean diet with the VOO group
receiving 15 litres of virgin olive oil per three months, a nut group given 30g a day of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts, and a third group given instructions and material to follow a low-fat diet.
“We thus observed who had suffered the greatest thickening of this layer — due to arteriosclerosis — a significant improvement and regression of lesions having taken place in those cases that had followed a
Mediterranean diet enriched with virgin olive oil or nuts,” said Dr Ana Sánchez-Tainta, also from the University of Navarra.
The results showed the nut and VOO groups after three months had improved adolipoprotein ratios that delivered lower heart disease risk for both men and women.
