The nutritional benefits of EVOO, no one is a prophet in their own land – Interview with Dr. Miguel Ángel Martínez
Many Extra Virgin Olive Oils producers complain that, neither on EVOO labelling nor on their websites, can they talk in an “understandable” way about how beneficial this product is to our health. Despite being a nutritionally extraordinary fat, “we are silenced by the risk of receiving a sanction, as they already started to give them in certain autonomous communities and simply for that reason, we do not speak on the positive effects it has on our health”, says one of QvExtra!’s associates. It is incomprehensible that in supermarket shelves we find a multitude of products that “claim” to be good for the heart or lower cholesterol, “and that in EVOO, where there is abundant scientific evidence, we cannot say this”.
That’s why QvExtra! has gone directly to the scientific source – to one of the most internationally recognised researchers Dr. Miguel Angel Martínez González, Professor and Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Navarra, adjunct professor at Harvard University’s Department of Nutrition, in addition to founder and Principal Investigator of the SUN project (‘University of Navarra monitoring’) and one of the authors of the prestigious PREDIMED study.
With more than 750 scientific publications in indexed journals and more than 35 published books, Dr. Miguel Angel Martínez-González has shared his view on the consumption of EVOO (according to him, the healthiest fat) and the benefits it has on the prevention and control of many diseases. Keep reading to find out more!
Do you think Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the healthiest fat?
There is no doubt that Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the healthiest fat. This is not based on a cultural, nostalgic, romantic or geographical preference. It is based on studies that have followed the most rigorous scientific approach to demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships.
There is no other food for which beneficial health effects have been demonstrated so strongly in trials with a random distribution approach. These studies with random cast approach are the ones that provide the most substantial evidence in the hierarchy of scientific evidence.
Do you think there are enough scientific studies that allow us to say that this fat helps to …
… prevent cardiovascular disease?
The PREDIMED study showed that consuming at least four tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil per day reduced stroke and heart attacks, or cardiovascular deaths by 30%. This study included 7,447 participants and it was the largest randomised nutrition clinical trial ever conducted in Europe. But also, it is not an isolated study, as it was preceded, accompanied and followed by many other independent and high-quality observational trials and studies that also confirm these results.
… prevent cancer?
In this same study, PREDIMED found a reduction of more than 60% for breast cancer. This was only seen when the Mediterranean diet was followed with the consumption of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but it was not seen with the consumption of nuts. Many case studies and controls, some of them conducted in Spain, also demonstrate that Extra Virgin Olive Oil protects against breast cancer.
… prevent diabetes?
Many years ago, we found that the Mediterranean diet strongly protects against the occurrence of diabetes in a study called Seguimiento University of Navarra (SUN), in which more than 13,000 volunteers were studied over a long period of time.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the quintessence of the Mediterranean diet. And there is growing evidence that the extra virgin variety contains a number of minor elements, especially phenolic compounds, which are bioactive and largely explain this protection.
The above study also saw a 40% reduction in diabetes cases in those consuming Extra Virgin Olive Oil. There are many other studies that also show that the Mediterranean diet rich in Extra Virgin Olive Oil prevents type 2 diabetes, which is the most common.
… prevent neurological diseases?
We were the first to find a significant improvement in cognitive tests with Extra Virgin Olive Oil consumption in a Mediterranean diet intervention. This is also consistent with many other observational studies conducted in the United States and other countries.
… prevent other health issues?
There is growing evidence that Extra Virgin Olive Oil can reduce peripheral artery disease significantly, which is a problem of blood circulation in the legs that some diabetics and smokers have. We also have evidence that it can reduce atrial fibrillation which is one of the main cardiac arrhythmias.
Improving our immune system?
There is less scientific evidence on improving the immune system, but everything points to the fact that this positive effect is obtained with a high consumption of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Would you recommend the widespread use of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in our diet or only in its raw form (e.g. in salads)?
(For example, would it be healthy to replace butter in homemade baking with extra virgin, or to make a stew with Extra Virgin?)
Yes, of course. It is beneficial in all culinary uses, including frying.
Do you think the frequent consumption of Extra Virgin Olive Oil protects us against viruses like COVID19?
My bet is yes, but there’s currently a lack of studies on it. This is because this is a new epidemic and it has not yet given us time to collect data.
Is there anything else you find important that you wish to add?
It is interesting to see how the studies we have carried out in Spain, especially the PREDIMED project and the SUN (Universidad de Navarra Monitoring) project are better known in the United States than in Spain. It seems that the saying is true, no one is a prophet in their own land.
At QvExtra!, and on behalf of the whole sector, we thank Dr. Miguel Angel Martínez-González for the clarity and assurance with which he has spoken about the benefits of EVOO. I hope that these messages resonate in our families and in our society, because we really have a treasure that we can be tremendously proud of and because, in addition, it would serve to revitalise much of Spain while also improving the health of Spaniards.
Miguel A. Martinez-Gonzalez. MD, PhD, Univ. Navarra (Prof. & Chair, Prev. Med. & Public Health)
Harvard TH Chan School Public Health, Dpt. Nutrition (Adjunct Prof.). CIBEROBN (Group Coordinator).
