People whose diets included at least a daily half tablespoon of olive oil had a 14% lower risk for cardiovascular disease, and an 18% lower risk for coronary heart disease, than people who consumed no olive oil, according to a study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Lead author Marta Guasch-Ferré, a research scientist in the Department of Nutrition, said in a May 12, 2020 New York Times article that the benefit to heart health comes from using olive oil instead of products containing saturated fats, such as butter, margarine, or mayonnaise.
“It’s not just adding olive oil,” she said, “but consuming olive oil instead of harmful fats.”
Read the New York Times article: A Half-Tablespoon of Olive Oil a Day May Promote Heart Health