Effects of Olive Oil on Blood Pressure: Epidemiological, Clinical, and Mechanistic Evidence

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 12; no. 6; p. 1548
• Main Authors: Massaro, Marika, Scoditti, Egeria, Carluccio, Maria Annunziata, Calabriso, Nadia, Santarpino, Giuseppe, Verri, Tiziano, De Caterina, Raffaele
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 26-05-2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Antihypertensives; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Bibliometrics; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cerebral infarction; Dairy products; Databases, Factual; Diet; Diet, Mediterranean; Epidemiology; Fatty acids; Fruits; Health risks; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - drug therapy; Hypertension - epidemiology; Keywords; Literature reviews; Middle age; monounsaturated fatty acids; Myocardial infarction; Oils & fats; Oleic acid; Oleic Acid - therapeutic use; Olive oil; Olive Oil - therapeutic use; Polyphenols; Potassium; Quality of Life; Review; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Stroke - drug therapy; Vegetable oils; Mediterranean Sea; polyphenols; olive oil; monounsaturated fatty acids; hypertension
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu12061548

The increasing access to antihypertensive medications has improved longevity and quality of life in hypertensive patients. Nevertheless, hypertension still remains a major risk factor for stroke and myocardial infarction, suggesting the need to implement management of pre- and hypertensive patients. In addition to antihypertensive medications, lifestyle changes, including healthier dietary patterns, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and the Mediterranean diet, have been shown to favorably affect blood pressure and are now recommended as integrative tools in hypertension management. An analysis of the effects of nutritional components of the Mediterranean diet(s) on blood pressure has therefore become mandatory. After a literature review of the impact of Mediterranean diet(s) on cardiovascular risk factors, we here analyze the effects of olive oil and its major components on blood pressure in healthy and cardiovascular disease individuals and examine underlying mechanisms of action. Both experimental and human studies agree in showing anti-hypertensive effects of olive oil. We conclude that due to its high oleic acid and antioxidant polyphenol content, the consumption of olive oil may be advised as the optimal fat choice in the management protocols for hypertension in both healthy and cardiovascular disease patients.