Olive Oil May Reduce Cardiovascular Risk by Boosting Endothelial Function

New research suggests that supplementing the diet with olive oil may help to reduce cardiovascular risk by improving the function of the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic and College of Medicine and from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Florence (Italy), investigated the effects of supplementing the diet with 30 ml/day of olive oil (providing 340 mg/kg polyphenols) on endothelial function. Eighty-two people with atherosclerosis participated in the double-blind, randomized, 4-month long trial, and 52 participants completed the study. Results showed that olive oil consumption “significantly improved endothelial function”. A “significant reduction in inflammatory parameters” was also observed. The researchers concluded: “Supplementation with olive oil seems a reasonably easy and relatively cheap dietary measure to improve the endothelial function and perhaps favorably alter the progression of atherosclerotic disease, particularly in patients with already markedly impaired endothelial function.”