New Study: Half a Tablespoon of Olive Oil Daily Reduces Cancer Risk

Do you love olive oil? From now on, you’ll have double the reason to consume it, and not just because it’s delicious.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that consuming half a tablespoon of olive oil daily protects against deadly diseases, including cancer.

More than 90,000 relatively healthy people participated in the study, which was conducted over 28 years. Every four years, participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire examining their fat consumption, including margarine, olive oil, mayonnaise, butter, and milk.

Researchers were surprised to find that in the group of people who regularly consumed olive oil daily, there was hardly any tendency to develop cancer or heart and lung diseases. A nutrition scientist at Harvard, Professor Guasch-Ferre, said the study attributes these remarkable results to the anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil. Her colleague from New York University, Marion Nestle, says that not only does olive oil offer a huge health advantage, but what accompanies it also matters.

"If you eat a fatty steak and fried food and place a tablespoon of olive oil next to it, needless to say, that’s not what will make you healthy. What you eat with olive oil is just as important as consuming olive oil itself," she notes, emphasizing that there is no doubt olive oil contributes to heart and lung health and distances us from cancer, but we must ensure we consume enough vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruits over processed foods.