Olive Oil and Nuts better than drugs for heart disease!

I was really pleased to see the results of this study come up - as I'm not a great fan of all the cardiovascular medications that are so over-prescribed in this country (well in most countries actually). So it is heartening to see you can make dramatic changes through diet alone.

Anyway, some really interesting early results have just been published from a large Spanish study that is due to be finished next year on the impact of certain foods have on our health.

  

They have been studying 7500 people with heart disease risk and have already seen from some preliminary results that a Mediterranean diet, which is also high in Virgin Olive Oil and Nuts is more effective in reducing heart disease event likelihood than drug treatments.

The study placed each volunteer in one of three groups:

• A Mediterranean diet along with 15 litres of virgin olive oil per 3 months.
• A Mediterranean diet with 30gms of nuts a day, including walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts.
• A Mediterranean diet with instructions and material to follow a low fat diet.

They found significant improvements in the artery narrowing of those following the first two diets: high in olive oil or nuts.   Lesions on the artery walls that causes narrowing of the blood vessels actually decreased in these groups.  

And interestingly those who had the greatest thickening of the layers in the arteries, commonly known as arteriosclerosis, had a greater improvement.

Results were seen after 3 months, but over a year the results were better than what is expected when taking many cardiovascular drugs.

It is important to note that these subjects were already on the Mediterranean diet, and that it is not abnormal to eat a lot of olive oil in these countries.  

This backs up another recent study I have discussed that showed those that consumed more olive oil in their diet had a lower risk of stroke.

When you eat nuts for health make sure they are fresh and raw.  With olive oil buy the best quality you can afford and use it in salad dressings and as a dip for bread.  

Diets High in Olive Oil Reduce Stroke Risk

Before I summarise the results of this fascinating new study, I want to make a note that these types of results are only going to achievable if you use good quality virgin olive oil.  Spend a little more money on the bottle you use for dipping bread, drizzling or salad dressing.

Margarines made from Olive Oil are NOT THE SAME!  They may have been (cheap) olive oil once - but they are no longer when hydrogenated to make them solid.  Please stay away from them - no matter what the marketing about them says, they are not good for you!  Use the real stuff!!


Anyway...off my soap box and onto the study......

Consuming high levels of olive oil may help prevent a stroke in older people, according to new research.

The study, published in Neurology, reports that higher dietary intakes of olive oil may reduce the risk of developing stroke by over 40 per cent. The researchers also reported that those with the highest levels of plasma oleic acid – a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid found at high levels in olive oil – had a 73% reduction in the risk of stroke.

The researchers followed 7,625 people with no history of stroke, aged 65 and older from three cities in France: Bordeaux, Dijon and Montpellier.

The participants were categorized by olive oil consumption into one of three groups:

• No use, 
• Moderate use: such as using olive oil in cooking or as dressing or with bread.
• Intensive use: which included using olive oil for both cooking and as dressing or with bread.

After adjusting their findings to account for diet, physical activity, body mass index and other risk factors for stroke, the researchers reported that people who regularly used olive oil for both cooking and as dressing had a 41% lower risk of stroke compared to those who never used olive oil in their diet.

The authors also measured blood plasma oleic acid, finding that high levels were associated with lower stroke incidence.

“Compared to those with lowest levels], participants who had the highest levels of plasma oleic acid had a 73% reduction of stroke risk,” said the authors.

Olive oil has been associated with potentially protective effects against many cardiovascular risk factors. Rich in phenolic compounds, such as oleuropein and cafeic acid, the oil has attracted attention because of their potential anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Such compounds have been also associated with the antioxidant activity of olive oil.

It's important to note that a person's risk of stroke would only be reduced through consuming olive oil as an alternative to other cooking fats and as part of a healthy balanced diet that is low in saturated fat and salt.