Specifically, an ingredient that originates from the Mediterranean. Olive oil has been used and consumed for thousands of years, as early as 7000-8000BC. From the Greeks to the Romans to English and the French, it is an essential part of dishes aplenty. A new study from Harvard University suggests it may have some medicinal properties too.
The study, which followed the diets of 90,000 health workers over a 30-year period, found that those who consumed olive oil were less likely to develop heart disease.
Researchers from the study found that olive oil could reduce a person’s risk of developing heart disease by 20 percent or a fifth.
Research showing that olive oil can reduce a person’s risk of developing heart disease comes at a time when the population, in general, is trying to look after it’s health.
The British Heart Foundation has a number of strike statistics on the number of heart related conditions in the UK.
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According to the charity: “Heart and circulatory diseases cause a quarter of all deaths in the UK, that’s more than 160,000 deaths each year.”
The charity adds that this is “an average of 460 deaths each day or one every three minutes”.
As a result, it is crucial for people to look after their heart and do what they can to reduce their risk of heart disease.
Coronary Heart Disease is the most common form of heart disease in the UK.
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An operation known as an angioplasty may also be employed.
This is where balloons and stents are used to treat the narrow heart arteries.
Depending on the severity of the coronary heart disease, heart surgery may or may not be necessary.
If you have any concerns about whether you may have heart disease, contact your GP for a consultation.