Exploring the Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Cardiovascular Health Enhancement and Disease Prevention: A Systematic Review
Ussia S, Ritorto G, Mollace R, Serra M, Tavernese A, Altomare C, Muscoli C, Fini M, Barillà F, Indolfi C, Perrone Filardi P, Mollace V, Macrì R
Nutrients · 10 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Systematic review (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Clinical events such as disease or death
- Intake measured by
- Not stated
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca
- Government
- European Regional Development Fund
- Government
- PON-MIUR 03PE000_78_2
- Government
- PON-MIUR 03PE000_78_1
- Government
- SAP01-2023-000077-Bando A Cascata Rome Technopole Spoke 1 e Spoke 6-PRODIGI.
- Government
- PRIR Calabria Asse 1/Azione 1.5.1/FESR (Progetto AgrInfra Calabria
- Grants
- Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (03PE000_78_2); Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (CUP B83C22002820006); European Regional Development Fund (CUP B83C22002820006); Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (PON-MIUR 03PE000_78_1); Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (03PE000_78_1); Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (PON-MIUR 03PE000_78_2)
Based on 6 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2025-05-28 · Nutrients · vol. 17 · issue 11 · p. 1843
- Publisher
- Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
- Cited
- 27 citations · more than 79% of similar papers · 1.7× the field average
- References
- 55 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Edible Oils Quality and Analysis · Nutritional Studies and Diet · Fatty Acid Research and Health
- Keywords
- Olive oil, Health benefits, Disease, Medicine, Disease prevention, Traditional medicine, Cardiovascular health, Systematic review, Biotechnology, MEDLINE, Environmental health, Food science, Biology, Internal medicine
- MeSH
- humans, cardiovascular diseases, phenylethyl alcohol, diet, mediterranean, olive oil
13 authors
From IT
- Sara UssiaMagna Graecia University
- Giovanna RitortoMagna Graecia University
- Rocco Mollace · correspondingUniversity of Rome Tor Vergata; Magna Graecia University
- Maria Serra · correspondingMagna Graecia University
- Annamaria TaverneseUniversità Campus Bio-Medico
- Carmen AltomareMagna Graecia University
Abstract
Introduction: Olive oil's health benefits are widely known and extensively documented; its advantages are widespread, covering numerous areas of human health. Clinical and experimental data indicate that a Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) lowers the risk of illnesses associated with oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and weakened immunity, including cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirms that olive oil's polyphenols help protect blood lipids against oxidative damage; thus, EVOO, crucial in the MedDiet, could be a functional food component. Olive oils must contain at least 5 mg of Hydroxytyrosol (HYTY) and its derivatives (oleuropein and Tyrosol (TY)) per 20 g to qualify for the EFSA-approved health claim. To provide a summary of clinical study results, this systematic review assessed the impact of Virgin olive oil (VOO) consumption on cardiovascular risk and disease prevention. Methods: The systematic review's studies were collected from PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and the Population Intervention Comparison Outcome Population (PICO) framework. Results: Seventeen clinical studies were identified, which highlighted the association between VOO consumption (including EVOO) and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Particularly, improvements in biomarkers involved in cardiometabolic pathways and subsequent cardiovascular events were recorded. The beneficial effect was attributed to the polyphenols contained in EVOO. Indeed, EVOO supplementation as part of the Mediterranean diet could improve patients' quality of life in secondary prevention by demonstrating a positive correlation with the cardioprotective role of polyphenols. Discussion: A balanced diet with VOO represents a simple yet potent method to counteract metabolic dysfunctions associated with CVD. Despite these results, further multicenter clinical studies with a wider range of patients are required to confirm and better understand EVOO's effects on the prevention of cardiovascular risk.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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