In recent years, olive oil has entered the spotlight as a superfood with numerous studies citing health benefits. Olive oil is the main oil used in the Mediterranean diet which has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, promote weight loss and improve sugar control for people with diabetes.
In 2014, a meta-analysis of 32 cohort studies was conducted including 841,211 people to determine whether olive oil is protective for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Significant associations were found between higher intakes of olive oil and reduced risk of cardiovascular events, including stroke and heart attack, as well as reduced risk of death overall.
A case-control study published in 2007 showed that exclusive use of olive oil was associated with a 47% reduction in risk of acute coronary syndrome (heart attack) compared to no use of olive oil, even after adjusting for potentially confounding risk factors such as family history of heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, diabetes and physical inactivity.
Improving your cholesterol and cardiovascular risk profile could be as simple as switching out the oils in your kitchen for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
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