Consumption of olive oil reduces mortality from cancer and cardiovascular diseases. New evidence comes from a study carried out as part of the Umberto Project, conducted by the Umberto Veronesi Foundation Platform – Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of Neuromed, in collaboration with the Clinica Mediterranea Cardiocentro of Naples and the Lum University of Bari.
Published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the research analyzed the data of almost 23,000 Italian adults, men and women, who participated in the Moli-sani epidemiological study and were followed for over 12 years. Detailed information on food consumption was available for all of them.
«The benefits of consuming olive oil are widely documented in the literature, especially in relation to cardiovascular health – explains Emilia Ruggiero, first author of the study and researcher funded by the Veronesi Foundation at the Department of Epidemiology of the Irccs of Pozzilli – However, yes little is known about the effects of olive oil in relation to tumors and most of the available data comes from non-Mediterranean populations. This is why we wanted to investigate the role of this key food of the Mediterranean diet also in relation to cancer mortality, using the data collected by the Moli-sani study, one of the largest population cohorts in Europe.”
Adds Marialaura Bonaccio, co-principal investigator: «The results of the study confirm the benefit of regular consumption of 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 olive oil in quantities equal to or greater than 3 tablespoons (1 tablespoon corresponds to approximately 10 grams of oil, ed.) is associated with a similar reduction (23%) in the risk of cancer mortality.
«These are data that suggest very interesting hypotheses – comments Maria Benedetta Donati, principal investigator of the joint platform – In fact, the reduction in cancer mortality 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 ground’, or ‘common soil’ in the English formulation, from which these pathologies originate”. Certainly – Donati again – further investigations will be necessary to clarify the mechanisms at play. But these results highlight once again the importance of integrating olive oil, a central element of the Mediterranean diet, into our daily eating habits.”
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