Does extra virgin olive oil have the same adverse effect on arterial function as refined oils and animal fats?
Olive Oil and Artery Function
The relative paralysis of our arteries for hours after eating fast food and cheesecake may also occur after olive oil. Olive oil was found to have the same impairment to endothelial function as the rest of these high-fat meals. Sausage and Egg McMuffin was the worst, but olive oil wasn’t far behind.
Studies that have suggested endothelial benefits after olive oil consumption have measured something different—ischemia-induced, as opposed to flow-mediated, dilation—and there’s just not good evidence that that’s actually an index of endothelial function, which is what predicts heart disease. Hundreds of studies have shown that the test can give a false negative result.
But, it’s not just olive oil. Other oils have also been shown to have deleterious results on endothelial function; a significant and constant decrease in endothelial function three hours after each meal, independent of the type of oil, and whether the oil was fresh, or deep fried. Olive oil may be better than omega-6-rich oils, or saturated fats, but most of the studies showing adverse effects were done on regular, refined olive oil, not extra virgin.
Extra virgin olive oil retains a fraction of the anti-inflammatory phytonutrients found in the olive fruit, and so doesn’t appear to induce the spike in inflammatory markers caused by regular olive oil. But what does that mean for our arteries?
Extra virgin olive oil may have more of a neutral effect, compared to butter, which exerted a noxious effect that lasted for up to six hours—basically right up to our next meal. In the largest prospective study ever to assess the relationship between olive oil consumption and cardiac events, like heart attacks, there was a suggestion that virgin olive oil may be better than regular olive oil, but neither were found to significantly reduce heart attack rates after controlling for healthy dietary behaviors, like vegetable intake, which tends to go hand-in-hand with olive oil intake.
There have been studies, though, showing even extra virgin olive oil, contrary to expectations, may significantly impair endothelial function as well. So why do some studies suggest people’s endothelial function improves on a Mediterranean diet, a diet rich in olive oil? Perhaps because it’s also rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and walnuts, as well. Dietary fruits and vegetables appear to provide some protection against the direct impairment of endothelial function produced by high-fat foods, including olive oil. So, improvements in health may be in spite of, rather than because of, the oil. In terms of their effects on postprandial endothelial function (after a meal), the beneficial components of the Mediterranean diet may primarily be the antioxidant-rich foods—the vegetables, fruits, and their derivatives, such as balsamic vinegar. Just adding some vegetables to a fatty meal may partially restore arterial functioning and blood flow.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Katie Schloer.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- RA Vogel, MC Corretti, GD Plotnick. Changes in flow-mediated brachial artery vasoactivity with lowering of desirable cholesterol levels in healthy middle-aged men. Am J Cardiol. 1996 Jan 1;77(1):37-40.
- RA Vogel, MC Corretti, GD Plotnick. The postprandial effect of components of the Mediterranean diet on endothelial function. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2000 Nov 1;36(5):1455-60.
- CF Rueda-Clausen, FA Silva, MA Lindarte, C Villa-Roel, E Gomez, R Gutierrez, C Cure-Cure, P López-Jaramillo. Olive, soybean and palm oils intake have a similar acute detrimental effect over the endothelial function in healthy young subjects. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2007 Jan;17(1):50-7.
- K Esposito, R Marfella, M Ciotola, C Di Palo, F Giugliano, G Giugliano, M D'Armiento, F D'Andrea, D Giugliano. Effect of a mediterranean-style diet on endothelial dysfunction and markers of vascular inflammation in the metabolic syndrome: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2004 Sep 22;292(12):1440-6.
- RA Vogel. Brachial artery ultrasound: a noninvasive tool in the assessment of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. Clin Cardiol. 1999 Jun;22(6 Suppl):II34-9.
- F Fuentes, J López-Miranda, P Pérez-Martínez, Y Jiménez, C Marín, P Gómez, JM Fernández, J Caballero, J Delgado-Lista, F Pérez-Jiménez. Chronic effects of a high-fat diet enriched with virgin olive oil and a low-fat diet enriched with alpha-linolenic acid on postprandial endothelial function in healthy men. Br J Nutr. 2008 Jul;100(1):159-65.
- N Tentolouris, C Arapostathi, D Perrea, D Kyriaki, C Revenas, N Katsilambros. Differential effects of two isoenergetic meals rich in saturated or monounsaturated fat on endothelial function in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2008 Dec;31(12):2276-8.
- M Ryan, D McInerney, D Owens, P Collins, A Johnson, GH Tomkin. Diabetes and the Mediterranean diet: a beneficial effect of oleic acid on insulin sensitivity, adipocyte glucose transport and endothelium-dependent vasoreactivity. QJM. 2000 Feb;93(2):85-91.
- EA Miles, P Zoubouli, PC Calder. Differential anti-inflammatory effects of phenolic compounds from extra virgin olive oil identified in human whole blood cultures. Nutrition. 2005 Mar;21(3):389-94.
- F Fuentes, J López-Miranda, E Sánchez, F Sánchez, J Paez, E Paz-Rojas, C Marín, P Gómez, J Jimenez-Perepérez, JM Ordovás, F Pérez-Jiménez. Mediterranean and low-fat diets improve endothelial function in hypercholesterolemic men. Ann Intern Med. 2001 Jun 19;134(12):1115-9.
- P Bogani, C Galli, M Villa, F Visioli. Postprandial anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of extra virgin olive oil. Atherosclerosis. 2007 Jan;190(1):181-6.
- R Moreno-Luna, R Muñoz-Hernandez, ML Miranda, AF Costa, L Jimenez-Jimenez, AJ Vallejo-Vaz, FJ Muriana, J Villar, P Stiefel. Olive oil polyphenols decrease blood pressure and improve endothelial function in young women with mild hypertension. Am J Hypertens. 2012 Dec;25(12):1299-304.
- K Esposito, F Nappo, F Giugliano, G Giugliano, R Marfella, D Giugliano. Effect of dietary antioxidants on postprandial endothelial dysfunction induced by a high-fat meal in healthy subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Jan;77(1):139-43.
- T Gori. Olive oil and ischemic reactive hyperemia in hypercholesterolemic patients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006 Jul 18;48(2):414; author reply 414-5.
- J Ruano, J Lopez-Miranda, F Fuentes, JA Moreno, C Bellido, P Perez-Martinez, A Lozano, P Gómez, Y Jiménez, F Pérez Jiménez. Phenolic content of virgin olive oil improves ischemic reactive hyperemia in hypercholesterolemic patients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005 Nov 15;46(10):1864-8.
- G Buckland, N Travier, A Barricarte, E Ardanaz, et al. Olive oil intake and CHD in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Spanish cohort. Br J Nutr. 2012 Dec 14;108(11):2075-82.
The relative paralysis of our arteries for hours after eating fast food and cheesecake may also occur after olive oil. Olive oil was found to have the same impairment to endothelial function as the rest of these high-fat meals. Sausage and Egg McMuffin was the worst, but olive oil wasn’t far behind.
Studies that have suggested endothelial benefits after olive oil consumption have measured something different—ischemia-induced, as opposed to flow-mediated, dilation—and there’s just not good evidence that that’s actually an index of endothelial function, which is what predicts heart disease. Hundreds of studies have shown that the test can give a false negative result.
But, it’s not just olive oil. Other oils have also been shown to have deleterious results on endothelial function; a significant and constant decrease in endothelial function three hours after each meal, independent of the type of oil, and whether the oil was fresh, or deep fried. Olive oil may be better than omega-6-rich oils, or saturated fats, but most of the studies showing adverse effects were done on regular, refined olive oil, not extra virgin.
Extra virgin olive oil retains a fraction of the anti-inflammatory phytonutrients found in the olive fruit, and so doesn’t appear to induce the spike in inflammatory markers caused by regular olive oil. But what does that mean for our arteries?
Extra virgin olive oil may have more of a neutral effect, compared to butter, which exerted a noxious effect that lasted for up to six hours—basically right up to our next meal. In the largest prospective study ever to assess the relationship between olive oil consumption and cardiac events, like heart attacks, there was a suggestion that virgin olive oil may be better than regular olive oil, but neither were found to significantly reduce heart attack rates after controlling for healthy dietary behaviors, like vegetable intake, which tends to go hand-in-hand with olive oil intake.
There have been studies, though, showing even extra virgin olive oil, contrary to expectations, may significantly impair endothelial function as well. So why do some studies suggest people’s endothelial function improves on a Mediterranean diet, a diet rich in olive oil? Perhaps because it’s also rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and walnuts, as well. Dietary fruits and vegetables appear to provide some protection against the direct impairment of endothelial function produced by high-fat foods, including olive oil. So, improvements in health may be in spite of, rather than because of, the oil. In terms of their effects on postprandial endothelial function (after a meal), the beneficial components of the Mediterranean diet may primarily be the antioxidant-rich foods—the vegetables, fruits, and their derivatives, such as balsamic vinegar. Just adding some vegetables to a fatty meal may partially restore arterial functioning and blood flow.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Katie Schloer.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- RA Vogel, MC Corretti, GD Plotnick. Changes in flow-mediated brachial artery vasoactivity with lowering of desirable cholesterol levels in healthy middle-aged men. Am J Cardiol. 1996 Jan 1;77(1):37-40.
- RA Vogel, MC Corretti, GD Plotnick. The postprandial effect of components of the Mediterranean diet on endothelial function. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2000 Nov 1;36(5):1455-60.
- CF Rueda-Clausen, FA Silva, MA Lindarte, C Villa-Roel, E Gomez, R Gutierrez, C Cure-Cure, P López-Jaramillo. Olive, soybean and palm oils intake have a similar acute detrimental effect over the endothelial function in healthy young subjects. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2007 Jan;17(1):50-7.
- K Esposito, R Marfella, M Ciotola, C Di Palo, F Giugliano, G Giugliano, M D'Armiento, F D'Andrea, D Giugliano. Effect of a mediterranean-style diet on endothelial dysfunction and markers of vascular inflammation in the metabolic syndrome: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2004 Sep 22;292(12):1440-6.
- RA Vogel. Brachial artery ultrasound: a noninvasive tool in the assessment of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. Clin Cardiol. 1999 Jun;22(6 Suppl):II34-9.
- F Fuentes, J López-Miranda, P Pérez-Martínez, Y Jiménez, C Marín, P Gómez, JM Fernández, J Caballero, J Delgado-Lista, F Pérez-Jiménez. Chronic effects of a high-fat diet enriched with virgin olive oil and a low-fat diet enriched with alpha-linolenic acid on postprandial endothelial function in healthy men. Br J Nutr. 2008 Jul;100(1):159-65.
- N Tentolouris, C Arapostathi, D Perrea, D Kyriaki, C Revenas, N Katsilambros. Differential effects of two isoenergetic meals rich in saturated or monounsaturated fat on endothelial function in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2008 Dec;31(12):2276-8.
- M Ryan, D McInerney, D Owens, P Collins, A Johnson, GH Tomkin. Diabetes and the Mediterranean diet: a beneficial effect of oleic acid on insulin sensitivity, adipocyte glucose transport and endothelium-dependent vasoreactivity. QJM. 2000 Feb;93(2):85-91.
- EA Miles, P Zoubouli, PC Calder. Differential anti-inflammatory effects of phenolic compounds from extra virgin olive oil identified in human whole blood cultures. Nutrition. 2005 Mar;21(3):389-94.
- F Fuentes, J López-Miranda, E Sánchez, F Sánchez, J Paez, E Paz-Rojas, C Marín, P Gómez, J Jimenez-Perepérez, JM Ordovás, F Pérez-Jiménez. Mediterranean and low-fat diets improve endothelial function in hypercholesterolemic men. Ann Intern Med. 2001 Jun 19;134(12):1115-9.
- P Bogani, C Galli, M Villa, F Visioli. Postprandial anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of extra virgin olive oil. Atherosclerosis. 2007 Jan;190(1):181-6.
- R Moreno-Luna, R Muñoz-Hernandez, ML Miranda, AF Costa, L Jimenez-Jimenez, AJ Vallejo-Vaz, FJ Muriana, J Villar, P Stiefel. Olive oil polyphenols decrease blood pressure and improve endothelial function in young women with mild hypertension. Am J Hypertens. 2012 Dec;25(12):1299-304.
- K Esposito, F Nappo, F Giugliano, G Giugliano, R Marfella, D Giugliano. Effect of dietary antioxidants on postprandial endothelial dysfunction induced by a high-fat meal in healthy subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Jan;77(1):139-43.
- T Gori. Olive oil and ischemic reactive hyperemia in hypercholesterolemic patients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006 Jul 18;48(2):414; author reply 414-5.
- J Ruano, J Lopez-Miranda, F Fuentes, JA Moreno, C Bellido, P Perez-Martinez, A Lozano, P Gómez, Y Jiménez, F Pérez Jiménez. Phenolic content of virgin olive oil improves ischemic reactive hyperemia in hypercholesterolemic patients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005 Nov 15;46(10):1864-8.
- G Buckland, N Travier, A Barricarte, E Ardanaz, et al. Olive oil intake and CHD in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Spanish cohort. Br J Nutr. 2012 Dec 14;108(11):2075-82.
Images thanks to LoveToTakePhotos via Pixabay, Annelise and
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Olive Oil and Artery Function
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Content URLDoctor's Note
Fatty Meals May Impair Artery Function so much that a single high-fat meal can trigger angina chest pain. But whole food sources of fat, such as nuts, appear to be the exception. See Extra Virgin Olive Oil vs. Nuts and Walnuts and Artery Function.
Using the same test, find out what other foods can do:
- Eggs and Arterial Function
- Dark Chocolate and Artery Function
- Coffee and Artery Function
- Vinegar and Artery Function
- Plant-Based Diets and Artery Function
- Tea and Artery Function
If olive oil can impair our arterial function, Why Was Heart Disease Rare in the Mediterranean? I’ve got a whole series of videos on the Mediterranean diet.
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