Olive oil is one of the healthiest cooking oils on the planet. According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), consuming olive oil is linked to a lower risk of developing heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
Nutritionists often recommend replacing fats like butter with healthier alternatives like olive oil. For the study, the researchers evaluated data from 60,582 women and 31,801 men from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Both are long-term health studies that tracked the health of volunteers over time.
All of the volunteers were free of heart disease and cancer when the study period started in 1990. The study participants also weighed in every four years during a 28-year follow-up period about their diet.
The researchers took note of how much olive oil, other vegetable oils, margarine and butter the participants consumed. Overall, the volunteers consumed more olive oil over time. Intake increased from about 1.6 grams a day in 1990 to at least four grams a day in 2010. Read more…
