As more people become conscious of what goes into their food, cooking oils have come under increasing scrutiny, particularly with growing questions around the potential health effects of seed oils. But if you are trying to make healthier choices in the kitchen, that raises an important question: what should you actually use to cook your food? After all, you cannot exactly eliminate oil from every recipe.
Dr Jeremy London, a US board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon with 25 years of experience, has shared a simple cooking-oil swap that may offer cardiovascular benefits. In an Instagram video shared on July 6, the heart surgeon cites scientific research to support his recommendation, explaining how replacing conventional cooking oils with this particular alternative could benefit heart health and why the switch may be worth considering.
An oil that protects your heart
According to Dr London, swapping out seed oils and other cooking oils for olive oil can actually be beneficial for your heart. While a substantial body of scientific research supports the potential cardiovascular benefits of olive oil, Dr London highlights one particularly significant study that followed a large group of people over time, examining their dietary habits alongside their cardiovascular health.
He elaborates, “Is olive oil actually good for your heart? The short answer is yes, and the data is impressive. Many large cohort studies highlight the association of olive oil and decreasing heart disease. But the strongest study was a randomised controlled trial of more than 7,000 people for about five years. Participants ate a Mediterranean-style diet. One group added extra virgin olive oil – about four tablespoons a day.”
What did the study find?
While changing your dietary patterns and adopting a healthier lifestyle can have positive effects on your overall health, you might assume that adding just four tablespoons of an oil would not make much of a difference. But you would be wrong – in this case, less really is more. Even a relatively small addition of olive oil was associated with significant improvements in heart disease risk.
The heart surgeon highlights, “The result: The olive oil group saw about a 30 percent drop in heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular death combined. Stroke risk alone dropped even more.”
What’s even better?
Dr London adds that the researchers dug deeper and found that one type of olive oil may offer even greater benefits than regular olive oil. Their findings suggested that extra virgin olive oil was more effective at reducing the risk of heart disease, prompting the heart surgeon to strongly recommend it as a healthier swap worth making.
He explains, “The researchers then dove a little bit further and found that extra virgin olive oil had an even more impressive risk reduction because of the additional polyphenols as well as antioxidants. So yes, extra virgin olive oil is one of the few simple swaps the science actually backs. Adding it to your cooking is an easy win.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
Dr Jeremy London is a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon with more than 25 years of experience. He has an MD from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, and his focus is on the intersection of lifestyle, preventive medicine, and evidence-based longevity.
