Three tablespoons of olive oil a day prolongs life. “Its regular consumption” can “be associated with reduced mortality not only for cardiovascular diseases, but also for tumors” and other causes. This is suggested by an Italian study signed by Fondazione Umberto Veronesi Ets and Irccs Neuromed, which analyzed the data of almost 23 thousand people followed for over a decade. The results of the work are published in the ‘European Journal of Clinical Nutrition’.
The research was carried out as part of the Umberto Project, conducted by the joint platform between the Veronesi Foundation and the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of the Irccs Neuromed of Pozzilli (Isernia), in collaboration with the Cardiocentro Mediterranean Clinic of Naples and the Lum ‘University Giuseppe Degennaro’ of Casamassima (Bari), with the non-conditioning contribution of the Monini company.
“The benefits of consuming olive oil are widely documented in the literature, especially in relation to cardiovascular health – recalls Emilia Ruggiero, first author of the study and researcher funded by the Veronesi Foundation at the Neuromed Department of Epidemiology and Prevention – However, 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.”
Why olive oil is good for you
Considering the dietary habits of the participants, the research indicates that “consuming more olive oil is linked to lower mortality rates not only from heart disease, but also from cancer and all other causes of death, regardless of the overall quality of the diet” . The group studied – describes a note – included 22,892 people, of which 11,976 women and 10,916 men with an average age of 55.4 years at the time of inclusion in the study, who on average consumed 23.3 grams of olive oil per day.
Those who consumed more olive oil reported fewer chronic health problems, consumed more fruit, vegetables, legumes and fish, and drank less alcohol. During a period of more than 12 years of follow-up, 2,566 deaths occurred, including 939 from cancer, 910 from heart disease and 723 from other causes. Consuming 3 or more tablespoons of olive oil per day has been associated with a lower chance of death from any cause. The analysis of biomarkers showed that a higher consumption of olive oil reduced the risk of mortality from all causes and cancer by 21.2% and 13.7% respectively, compared to lower consumption (a and a half tablespoon or less).
“These results – states Marialaura Bonaccio, co-principal investigator of the joint platform Fondazione Veronesi-Irccs Neuromed – 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 pathologies But the most interesting data is that, compared to a consumption of less than one and a half tablespoons, daily consumption of olive oil in quantities equal to or greater than 3 tablespoons is associated with a reduction in the risk of cancer mortality.” .
“These data suggest very interesting hypotheses – comments Maria Benedetta Donati, principal investigator of the 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, there would be a ‘common ground’ from which these pathologies originate” .
#Olive #oil #cancer #antitumor #effect
