Moderate intake of olive oil
is successful in reducing the blood pressure
of healthy men who don't usually stick to a
Mediterranean diet, suggests a new study published
in the Journal of Nutrition and reported
in www.foodnavigator-usa.com.
Yet another study, also reported by www.foodnavigator-usa.com,
states that virgin olive oil, a rich source
of polyphenols, is the best vegetable oil for
heart health. The results of the Eurolive study,
published in the Annals of Internal Medicine,
may convince health-conscious consumers to continue
to pay more for these benefits, after a drop
of 35 per cent for last year's olive crop drove
prices up to record highs.
The interest in olive oil, a key part of the
Mediterranean diet, has increased significantly
in recent years on the back of studies linking
the diet with a much lower incidence of cardiovascular
disease (CVD) and certain types of cancer. Indeed,
sales in the UK in 2004 alone were worth £107
million, compared with just £1 million 20 years
ago, according to an AC Nielsen report.
For the study published in the Journal
of Nutrition, researchers led by Isabel
Bondia-Pons from the University of Barcelona,
Spain, randomly assigned 110 healthy men from
non-Mediterranean countries (Germany, Finland
and Denmark) and 45 men from Spain and Italy
to include one of three similar olive oils (25ml
per day) in their diets. The cross-over trial
consisted of three three-week intervention periods
separated by two two-week washout periods.
The researchers report that blood levels of
oleic acid increased by 2-3 per cent in the
men from non-Mediterranean countries. The men
from the Mediterranean countries, though, did
not exhibit a significant increase in blood
oleic acid levels. At the end of the nine-week
intervention period, the researchers reported
that the systolic blood pressure of the non-Mediterranean
men decreased significantly by 3 per cent, compared
to baseline measurements.
For the study published in the Annals
of Internal Medicine, the researchers,
led by Maria-Isabel Covas from Municipal Institute
of Medical Research, Spain, randomly selected
200 male volunteers from five European nations
- Spain, Denmark, Finland, Italy and Germany
- and replaced their normal dietary fats with
olive oil for three weeks. The brands that the
researchers recommended had differing phenolic
contents.
This was followed by a two-week washout period.
Then there was a cross-over to one of two other
dietary interventions. Covas and her co-workers
observed a linear increase in high-density lipoprotein
(HDL) 'good' cholesterol levels. The higher
the polyphenol content of olive oil, the greater
was the impact on the user's 'good' cholesterol
level.
To find out more about the two studies,
go to: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com
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