This is the Type of Olive Oil You Really Should Be Eating

You have probably heard that olive oil is one of the healthiest foods in the world.

A hallmark of the Mediterranean Diet, olive oil has been associated with a reduced risk of premature death from any cause, including lower risk of cancer mortality, cardiovascular mortality, neurodegenerative mortality, and respiratory mortality.

But not all types of olive oil deliver these benefits.

In a study published just a few days ago in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, only the virgin type of olive oil was found to reduce the risk of mortality.

In fact, just 1.5 tablespoons of virgin olive oil per day was associated with a 34% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 57% lower risk of cardiovascular death.

Common olive oil, on the other hand, was not associated with any reduced risk of death or disease.

This marked the first study in which a clear benefit on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was observed for virgin olive oil, but not for the common olive oil variety.

Virgin olive oil — obtained by mechanical means through crushing and pressing olives — is rich in phenolic compounds and has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-atherosclerotic properties as well as beneficial effects on…