Olive Oil Keeps the Heart Young
A diet rich in olive oil may be able to slow down the ageing of the heart. It is a known fact that as we grow older the heart also goes through a normal ageing process. The arteries may not function as well as they did and this can lead to a number of health problems. However, in a recent study, Spanish researchers from the Lipids and Atherosclerosis Research Unit of the Reina Sofia University Hospital in Cordoba, discovered that a diet rich in olive oil or other monounsaturated fats could improve the arterial function of elderly individuals.
The study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, compared the effect of a Mediterranean style diet rich in olive oil with that of a low fat high carbohydrate diet and a diet rich in saturated fats and concluded that the diet rich in olive oil resulted in the reduction of endothelial damage and dysfunction. The endothelium is a layer of cells that line the inner walls of the arteries and help the blood circulate smoothly.
