Reprinted from HealthNewsDigest.com

Anytime is a good time to consider heart health. After all, cardiovascular disease disease is the leading cause of death in America, killing over 600,000 people yea yearly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Even making small changes in your lifestyle and diet can add up to big results over time. One such change that can give people a healthy benefit for the heart and beyond is to make the switch to olive oil.

“Olive oil not only tastes great, but increasingly we are learning about the healthy benefits it has for our bodies,” explains Chef Paul Anthony Fario, known as “Chefario,” the executive chef at Arlington-based Extra Virgin restaurant. “And it is quite versatile, making it easy to find ways to incorporate it into your diet.”

Here are 5 health benefits of using olive oil:

Anti-inflammation. Along with having healthy properties that help reduce inflammation in the body, it also has anti-clotting properties. This helps to make olive oil a choice that is better for the heart.

Antioxidants. Many health professionals have deemed olive oil to be heart-healthy because it contains powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. The polyphenols slow the progression of atherosclerosis.

DHPEA-EDA. This is one of the most important polyphenols found in olive oil, and researchers have found that it protects red blood cells from damage.

Monounsaturated fatty acids. Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which help to control a person’s LDL — or bad — cholesterol, while they also help to raise the body’s good, heart-healthy cholesterol.

Secoiridoids. This category of polyphenols found in olive oil is being researched for its anti-cancer properties. It is believed to provide the digestive tract with some protection.

Additional research suggests that olive oil has beneficial properties for bone health, cognitive function, and anti-cancer benefits. More research is being conducted to discover additional ways that olive oil can be beneficial to our health.

“Adding olive oil to your diet can be simple and tasty,” adds Chef Fario. “For the best results, buy a good-quality extra virgin olive oil and store it in a cool dark place so that it doesn’t go rancid or isn’t subjected to a lot of light exposure.”

 The following article by Mark L. Fuerst is reprinted from Psychiatric Times, March 31, 2014.

Two new studies show the heart-healthy benefits of eating a Mediterranean diet.

One study linked the diet to a lower risk of diabetes mellitus (DM), especially among those at high risk for cardiovascular disease…

In the first pooled analysis of studies evaluating the possible role of the Mediterranean diet in DM development, adherence to this diet was associated with a 21% reduced risk of DM compared with the control dietary groups. The likelihood of developing DM was almost 27% less in those at high risk for cardiovascular disease than in controls.

“Adherence to the Mediterranean diet may prevent the development of diabetes irrespective of age, sex, race, or culture,” said lead investigator Demosthenes Panagiotakos, PhD, professor at Harokopio University, Athens, Greece. “This diet has a beneficial effect, even in high risk groups, and speaks to the fact that it is never too late to start eating a healthy diet…”

The Mediterranean diet frequently emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, fi sh, olive oil, and even a glass of red wine.

Dr. Panagiotakos said he believes the Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of DM by helping guard against obesity. Earlier research has shown that following the traditional Mediterranean diet also is linked to weight loss, a reduced risk of heart disease and related death, and lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels…

[In a second study], Italian researchers conducted an analysis of the eating habits of nearly 15,000 healthy Italian men and women aged 35 years or older…

The investigators observed that consumption of the Mediterranean diet was directly related to lower levels of platelets and white blood cells, which, in turn, correlated to lower levels of inflammation [which has been associated with a greater risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke].

For more detailed information on these studies, please see the following: Mediterranean diet and diabetes mellitus:

The following is excerpted from an article published on the website of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, May 11, 2015.

Adding more olive oil or nuts to a Mediterranean diet—one rich in fruits, vegetables, fi sh, and whole grains and low in red meat—may help keep your mind sharper as you age, a new study suggests.

The Spanish researchers found that seniors following such diets had greater improvements in thinking and memory than people who were simply advised to eat a lower-fat diet.

“You can delay the onset of age-related mental decline with a healthy diet rich in foods with a high antioxidant power, such as virgin olive oil and nuts,” said lead researcher Dr. Emilio Ros, director of the lipid clinic at the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona.

“Because the average age of participants was 67 when the trial began, one can say that it is never too late to change your diet to maintain or even improve brain function,” he said.

The report was published online May 11 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

Dr. Sam Gandy, director of the Center for Cognitive Health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, said, “The general heart-healthy and brain-healthy effects of eating less beef and more chicken, fi sh, fruits and vegetables [have] been validated to the point that I now recommend this general Mediterranean diet to all my patients.”

…. Participants were randomly assigned to add a liter (about 33 ounces) of extra virgin olive oil per week to their Mediterranean diet, or to supplement their Mediterranean diet with 30 grams (roughly 1 ounce) per day of a mixture of walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds. Others followed a low-fat diet…. The participants followed the diets for four years, on average, according to the study.

In both groups following a Mediterranean diet, the researchers saw improvements in tests of memory and thinking compared to the group on the low-fat diet, the study showed.

Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in New York City, explained that “healthy fats from foods like nuts and olive oil play crucial roles in brain function and health.”

Every one of the nerve cells in the human brain is surrounded by an ultra-thin layer of fat and protein called the myelin sheath, she explained. The myelin sheath protects the nerve structure and helps nerve cell interaction. The brain gets its fats to make and maintain the myelin sheath from the foods people eat. The healthier the foods and fats, the healthier the brain, Heller said.

SOURCES: Emilio Ros, M.D., Ph.D., director, lipid clinic, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; Sam Gandy, M.D., Ph.D., director, Center for Cognitive Health, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City; Samantha Heller, M.S., R.D., senior clinical nutritionist, New York University Medical Center, New York City; Valls-Pedret C, Sala-Vila A, Ros E, et al. Mediterranean diet and agerelated cognitive decline. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.1668. [Epub ahead of print]