The Weekly Thread: olive oil consumption reduces all-cause mortality, choosing high quality olive oil, and your life is your message.

A study recently published on PubMed titled, Olive oil consumption is associated with lower cancer, cardiovascular, and all-cause mortality among Italian adults: prospective results from the Moli-sani Study and analysis of potential biological mechanisms aimed to look beyond the research associating olive oil consumption with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and wanted to determine any potential associations with lower risk of cancer, as we well as peeling back some of the layers on the actual biological mechanisms at work, resulting in any potential lower risk of disease. 

The authors of the paper performed a longitudinal analysis of 22,892 men and women from the Moli-sani Study in Italy and examined the association with olive oil consumption and mortality. 

First and foremost, the findings of an analysis of 22,892 men and women is a pretty solid sample size, thus, a good amount of confidence can be placed on these findings. 

And secondly, I mean, if you’re going to study the potential benefits of olive oil consumption, Italians would definitely be the population of people to study right!?

Dietary data for this study was collected from 2005-2010 and subjects were broken up into a “High” and “Low” olive oil consumption group. 

The “High” olive oil consumption group consumed 3 or more tablespoons (tbsp.) of olive oil daily, and the “Low” group consumed 1.5 or less tbsp of olive oil daily. 

They found that high consumption of olive oil (>3tbsp/d) was associated with a 21.2% reduced risk of cancer and all-cause mortality, and the low consumption group (<1.5tbsp/d) was associated with 13.7% reduced risk of cancer and all-cause mortality. 

The authors of the paper go on to state, “Higher olive oil consumption was associated with lower cancer, cardiovascular, and all-cause mortality rates, independent of overall diet quality.”

TAKEAWAYS

Above all, it seems pretty clear that olive oil consumption will help you live longer.

Peeling back the layers a bit more, there are a couple key takeaways from this study aside from just working more olive oil into your diet. 

First is that it appears the more olive oil you consume the better. 

The benefits did appear to be dose dependent, as the high consumption group had a more greatly reduced risk of all-cause mortality, which of course includes cancer and cardiovascular disease. 

An over 20% reduced risk of all-cause mortality, meaning literally dying from anything (non tragic accident related) disease related is quite significant, especially from simply consuming >3tbsp/d of olive oil. 

Secondly, this was INDEPENDENT of overall diet quality, meaning these benefits seemed to be entirely dependent on the consumption of olive oil, isolating it as a true anti-aging powerhouse of a food. 

Naturally, the better and cleaner your diet is, the more your risk factors for all-cause mortality will go down, however, this study shows that even with a less than ideal diet, by simply adding olive oil, and the more the better, to your daily diet, the more you will reduce your risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and literally dying from any other disease. 

For context, 3tbsp of olive per day is roughly a shot glass of olive oil, which is kind of funny, as I’ve been consuming a shot glass of olive oil daily on a pretty regular basis for about 2 years now, as well as adding it as an oil to foods I cook, and even cooking with it when I’m cooking on heat lower than medium (as anything medium and up will hit a smoke point, and denature many of the therapeutic properties of olive oil)

Not All Olive Oils Are Created Equal

Unfortunately, it is estimated that up to 80% of the olive oils sold on shelves in the U.S. aren’t 100% olive oil, as they’re often cut with cheap, processed, pro-inflammatory seed oils like soybean and canola oil. 

You want to make sure you’re buying your olive in a glass and glass only bottle, that is dark in color, as olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil (which contains higher amounts of therapeutic, disease preventive compounds) is sensitive to heat and light, and is easily oxidized. 

Also avoid buying jumbo sized bottles of olive oil, as it simply makes it more likely that it will take you longer to go through the bottle, meaning it will sit out much longer at your house, and be more prone to oxidation over time and going rancid. 

Buying smaller bottles ensures you go through your olive oil more quickly, and thus, are continually keeping fresher olive oil in your house. 

Finally, if you want to ensure your olive oil is rich in polyphenol flavonoid antioxidants, (which appear to be one of the main types of compounds that extra virgin olive oil is extremely rich in, and are associated with much of the reduced risk of all-cause mortality), it should pass the cough test. 

The “Cough” Test

Consume a big swig or shot glass of olive oil and give it a second before you drink any water. 

Pretty quickly after swallowing, you should feel an irritation in your throat, and even a bit of spiciness, and it should actually make you cough. 

This is a good thing, as it’s those highly beneficial polyphenol flavonoid antioxidants that cause this. 

If you have a processed olive oil, denatured or rancid olive oil, or even worse, an olive oil cut with cheap, highly processed, pro-inflammatory seed oils, it will taste more neutral and won’t make you cough. 

The cough test is a great way to know if the olive oil you are consuming is a legit anti-aging, disease fighting superfood or a cooking oil with little to no therapeutic properties. 

I personally rely upon two sources for olive oil, one of which is T.J. Robinson, aka “The Olive Oil Hunter”.

Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club

For me, I’ve removed the guesswork and headache of ensuring my extra virgin olive oil is freshly harvested, pressed, and is what it says it is on the bottle. I rely on “The Olive Oil Hunter” TJ Robinson to find and source the best tasting, freshest, and unique extra virgin olive oils from all around the world for me. 

I’m a very happy member of the “Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club”, where I receive quarterly shipments of hand selected extra virgin olive oils by TJ himself. I think it’s great and highly recommend checking it out to ensure you’re getting the world’s best tasting, healthiest extra virgin olive oils continually shipped to you with no extra effort on your end. 

Every quarter also brings olive oils from different regions of the world, so it’s fun to taste the regional differences in the olive oils, and it also gives you a chance to read more on the stories behind the actual olive oils selected for you. 

I receive three bottles of olive oil each quarter from the “Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club”, however, at the rate wit which we go through olive oil in our household, these bottles never last until our next shipment, so I also consume Solspring Biodynamic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which we personally selected and carry in store. 

A Quick Note on “Biodynamic”

Solspring is the first of it’s kind certified organic and biodynamic food brand created by Dr. Mercola. 

So what does it mean to be “biodynamic”?

Biodynamic refers to “a system of farming that follows a sustainable, holistic approach which uses only organic, usually locally-sourced materials for fertilizing and soil conditioning; views the farm as a closed, diversified ecosystem, and often bases farming activities on lunar cycles”.

In short, anything that is grown biodynamically is going to be the most nutrient dense foods grown in the most abundant, probiotic rich soil, and this is why we choose to carry Solspring foods. 

So, when I run out my quarterly shipment from the Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club, I then consume Solspring Biodynamic Extra Virgin Olive. 

Even better, I love to finish my nights off with a big swig or shot of this olive with some Solspring Dark Chocolate, with real dark chocolate probably being one of the top anti-aging, disease preventive foods right up there with extra virgin olive, and old world style red wine, which I’ve also written about. 

So, you can finish your nights off in a very satisfying way, and genuinely be doing so to support your long term health and reducing your risk of disease. 

Your life is your message.

Gandhi was once visiting a village and a villager asked him to share with him his message, seeking something profound from him. 

On a piece of paper Gandhi wrote down five words…

My life is my message.

People know and remember you by your actions, by the way you conduct yourself, how you treat others, and the impact you make on those who surround you.

If you were asked the same thing, and responded in the same way…

My life is my message.

What would that message be?