This was stated by a study conducted by the joint platform Fondazione Umberto Veronesi – IRCCS Neuromed of Pozzilli (Is) which analyzed the data of over 20,000 participants in the Moli-sani study.
The regular consumption of extra virgin olive oilan important component of the Mediterranean diet, is associated with a reduced mortalitynot only for cardiovascular diseases but also for tumors. This is what a study conducted by the Joint platform Umberto Veronesi Foundation – IRCCS Neuromed which analyzed data from over 20,000 participants Moli-sani epidemiological study.
Moli-sani epidemiological study on the oil-tumor relationship
New evidence in favor of a diet that favors the use of extra virgin olive oil comes from a study carried out as part of the UMBERTO projectconducted by the joint platform Fondazione Umberto Veronesi ETS – Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of the IRCCS Neuromed of Pozzilli (Is), in collaboration with the Clinica Mediterranea Cardiocentro of Naples and the LUM University “Giuseppe Degennaro” of Casamassima (Ba). The research, published in the journal European Journal of Clinical Nutritionanalyzed data from almost 23,000 adults Italians, men and women, inhabitants in Molise and participants in the Moli-sani epidemiological study, who were followed for over 12 years (detailed information on food consumption was available for all of them) and highlighted how the consumption of extra virgin olive oil is associated with a significant reduction in mortality not only from cardiovascular diseases, but also from tumors.
Cancer mortality survey
«The benefits of consuming extra virgin olive oil are widely documented in the literature, especially in relation to cardiovascular health – he states Emilia Ruggiero, first author of the study and researcher funded by the Umberto Veronesi ETS Foundation at the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of the IRCCS Neuromed –. However, little is known about the effects of extra virgin olive oil in relation to tumors, and most of the available data comes from non-Mediterranean populations. That’s why we wanted it investigate the role of this key food of the Mediterranean diet also in relation to cancer mortalityusing data collected by the Moli-sani study, one of the largest population cohorts in Europe.”
3 tablespoons of oil reduce the risk of cancer mortality
«The results of the study – he explains Marialaura Bonaccio, Co-Principal Investigator of the Joint Platform – confirm the benefit of regular consumption of extra virgin olive oil for cardiovascular health, which is associated with a reduction of a quarter in deaths due to cardiovascular diseases. But the most interesting fact is that, compared to a consumption of less than one and a half tablespoons, the daily consumption of extra virgin olive oil in quantities equal to or greater than 3 tablespoons (1 tablespoon corresponds to approximately 10 grams of oil, ed) it is associated with a similar reduction (23%) in the risk of cancer mortality».
It is important to integrate extra virgin olive oil into your diet
«These are data that suggest very interesting hypotheses – he adds Maria Benedetta Donati, Principal Investigator of the Joint Platform –. In fact the reduction in mortality from cancer appears to be explained, albeit partially, by an improvement in the profile of some risk factors typically linked to cardiovascular diseases. It is a hypothesis that fascinates many researchers: different chronic diseases such as tumors and heart attacks could share the same risk factors and the same molecular mechanisms. In other words, there would be a “common soil” in the English formulation, from which these pathologies originate. Certainly, further investigations will be necessary to clarify the mechanisms at play. But these results highlight once again theimportance of integrating extra virgin olive oila central element of the Mediterranean diet, in our daily eating habits.”
The UMBERTO project
The UMBERTO Project (Verso Ua renewed epidemicMnutritional iology e Biological pANDr the safeguardRsay helloTee prevent itORne of tumors) was born from the scientific partnership between the Umberto Veronesi ETS Foundation and the IRCCS Neuromed of Pozzilli and has the aim of studying the relationship between nutrition and tumors in more depth, with a particular focus on the Mediterranean diet.
The Moli-sani study
Started in March 2005, it involved almost 23,000 citizens, residents of Molise, to learn about the environmental and genetic factors underlying cardiovascular diseases and tumors. The Moli-sani study, now based at IRCCS Neuromed, has transformed an entire Italian region into a large scientific laboratory.
The IRCCS Neuromed
The Institute for Scientific Hospitalization and Care (IRCCS) Neuromed in Pozzilli (IS) represents a point of reference at an Italian and international level for research and therapy in the field of diseases affecting the nervous and vascular systems. A center where doctors, researchers, staff and patients themselves form an alliance aimed at guaranteeing the best possible level of assistance and cutting-edge treatments, guided by the most advanced scientific developments.
