Professor Tim Spector, an epidemiologist and creator of the Zoe Health app, has highlighted extra virgin olive oil as a 'superfood' that could reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. In a video shared on Instagram, he noted that Mediterranean countries have significantly lower rates of heart disease, which research has linked to their high consumption of olive oil.
Spector pointed to the 2018 Predimed study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which followed 7,000 Spaniards for six years. Participants who consumed about four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil daily showed significant reductions in heart disease, strokes, and breast cancer compared to those on a reduced-fat diet.
He explained that the health benefits are attributed to the high polyphenol content in extra virgin olive oil, which has anti-inflammatory effects and promotes beneficial gut bacteria. However, he cautioned that olive oil is calorie-dense, with four tablespoons containing 476 calories, and should be consumed sensibly.
