Spanish Ministers Highlight Importance of Researching Health Benefits of Olive Oil

By Daniel Dawson

Sep. 22, 2022 14:47 UTC

Summary

Government ministers in Spain praised the results of the CordioPrev study, which found that following a Mediterranean diet is more effective in preventing cardiovascular disease progression than a low-fat diet. The study, funded with €3.1 million, is seen as a significant step in improving the health outcomes of heart disease patients and may lead to future food labeling reforms in Spain.

Government ministers in Spain praised the role of scientific studies on the health benefits of olive oil as they unveiled the results of the seven-year-long CordioPrev study.

Published in May, the CordioPrev study found that following a Mediterranean diet is superior in terms of secondary prevention – interventions that delay the progression of a disease – of cardiovascular disease than following a low-fat diet.

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While numerous studies have demonstrated the Mediterranean diet to be superior to low-fat diets in terms of primary prevention – delaying the onset of disease – CardioPrev was the first study to compare diet effectiveness in more than 1,000 active heart disease patients.

Diana Morant, Spain’s minister of science and innovation, said that because of the study, “we can improve the life expectancies of many people who have already suffered a coronary incident.”

Luis Planas, minister of agriculture, fisheries and food

The minister added that this type of research, which she described as “science as a common good for society,” requires significant time and investment to bear fruit. As a result, she announced €3.1 million to fund 12 approved projects and five research contracts.

Planas said studies like CardioPrev form the foundation of efforts to have future olive oil labels and packaging reflect the product’s nutritional value.

In the second half of 2023, Spain will hold the presidency of the European Union, and Planas wants to make food labeling reforms a top priority. “We will work so that olive oil comes out in the place it deserves,” he said.

Planas believes that Spain has great potential to assume a leading role in research and investigation regarding healthy eating due to the country’s prominent role as a food producer and exporter.

According to the ministry, Spain is the fourth largest agri-food exporter in the E.U. and the seventh largest globally. Despite expectations of a historically low harvest, the country remains the world’s largest producer of olive oil by a wide margin.