Olive oil may lower stroke risk
Adding olive oil to daily diet lowers not only the risk of heart disease in the elderly but also their odds of developing stroke as well.
French researchers studied the records of 7,625 people aged 65 and older who had no history of stroke.
Their findings showed that those who used to eat higher amounts of olive oil are 41 percent less likely to experience a stroke.
Moreover, one-third of the studied people who had the highest blood levels of oleic acid were at a 73 percent lower risk of suffering a stroke than the one-third with the lowest levels, according to the report published in the journal Neurology.
"These results suggest a protective role for high olive oil consumption on the risk of stroke in older subjects," scientists concluded.
"This is the first study to suggest that greater consumption of olive oil may lower risk of stroke in older subjects, independently of other beneficial foods found in the Mediterranean diet," said study author Cecilia Samieri, of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Bordeaux.
The study failed to show how olive oil prevents stroke but the scientists believe it might replace the saturated and trans fats that increase the risk of cardiovascular.
"Moreover, previous research found that the polyphenols from virgin olive oil account specifically for its ability to lower oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL)" also called bad cholesterol, which is known to increase the risk of developing heart attacks and strokes, Samieri added.
Source: presstv.ir
