A study that shows how three tablespoons of olive oil a day can reduce the risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Three tablespoons of olive oil per day reduce the risk of death from cancer. The thing has taken on the trappings of officiality. The health benefits of olive oil are now widely documented, especially regarding the reduction of cardiovascular risk.
Now a new study, conducted by the Joint Platform Umberto Veronesi ETS Foundation – Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of the IRCCS Neuromed of Pozzilli (IS), in collaboration with the Clinica Mediterranea Cardiocentro of Naples and the LUM “Giuseppe Degennaro” University of Casamassima, revealed that daily consumption of three or more tablespoons of olive oil it can also reduce the risk of cancer mortality.
The research, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analyzed the data of approximately 23 thousand Italian adult women and men from the Moli-sani epidemiological study, followed for over 12 years.
The researchers observed that consuming olive oil in quantities equal to or greater than three tablespoons (about 30 grams) per day is associated with a 23% reduction in the risk of cancer mortality.
Olive oil, how it lowers the risk of cancer
“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 at IRCCS Neuromed.
“Little is known about the effects of olive oil in relation to cancer, 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.”
The study results also confirm the benefits of olive oil for heart health. With a reduction of a quarter in deaths due to cardiovascular diseases.
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“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”. Maria Benedetta Donati, from IRCCS Neuromed, explains it.
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“It’s 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.”
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Further investigations will be necessary to clarify the mechanisms at play. But these results once again highlight the importance of supplementing olive oil. A central element of the Mediterranean Diet in our daily eating habits, underlines the researcher.
