Olive oil is the main source of lipid energy in the Mediterranean diet and there is solid evidence of its various health benefits. However, in many homes and in several Western countries, the custom of using butter or margarine for cooking or for breakfast with toast is still more established. A new study by Spanish researchers aims to change this custom to make it healthier and to resonate in the hearts of consumers.
Several teams from the Biomedical Research Network Centre (CIBER), the University of Zaragoza and CIEMAT have carried out a study on a new spreadable product composed of more than 75% Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and made only with vegetable products, being suitable for vegans. This new formulation is a healthy substitute for butter and margarine, ideal for culinary preparations that require solid fats, commonly used in Western countries, thus facilitating the incorporation of EVOO into Western diets.
This new product “is an unsaturated spreadable fat, with more than 71% unsaturated fatty acids, in contrast to butter, which is a saturated fat that only contains 27% unsaturated fatty acids and 73% saturated fatty acids.”
The study, carried out on mice that develop arteriosclerosis, showed a significant reduction in vascular injury in the animals that received the extra virgin olive oil solid, compared to the group that consumed butter, in both sexes. For Roberto Martínez-Beamonte, researcher at the University of Zaragoza and the CIBER Obesity and Nutrition area (CIBEROBN), “This effect is probably due to the fact that it is an unsaturated spreadable fat, with more than 71% unsaturated fatty acids, including 62% oleic acid, in contrast to butter, which is a saturated fat that only contains 27% unsaturated fatty acids and 73% saturated fatty acids.” He also adds: “This formulation contains other bioactive compounds characteristic of EVOO such as squalene or hydroxytyrosol that reduce cellular oxidation and decrease the risk of suffering from vascular disease.”
The results, which have been published in the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry, also highlight that, in males with the same feed intake, there was a significant reduction in body weight after 10 weeks of dietary intervention, which was maintained until the end of the experiment, which may be beneficial for overweight or obese males. The authors add that “These findings also underline the benefits of extra virgin olive oil in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, highlighting its role in the Mediterranean diet.”
The team points out that this proposal is suitable for vegans and vegetarians, who do not consume butter or many types of margarine due to the possible presence of traces of animal products. In addition, its formulation does not contain preservatives, additives and allergens. Jesús de la Osada, professor at the University of Zaragoza and group leader at CIBEROBN, points out: “the only ingredients in the extra virgin olive oil solid are EVOO and cocoa butter, both products of organic origin, and without any chemical transformation of hydrogenation that produces trans fatty acids.” Another advantage of this spreadable product is that it increases the preferred consumption period of EVOO from one year to two years for the extra virgin olive oil solid, being an option to improve conservation in years of high production.
The project has had the participation of the CIBERER team, led by Jose Carlos Segovia at CIEMAT, and has been developed thanks to funding from CIBER, the Ministry of Science and Innovation, a Technological Development Cheque from the Ibercaja Foundation and the Altoaragoneses Studies Foundation.
Source: Ciberisciii
