The simple food swap that could slash your risk of early death by 17%
COOK with olive oil instead of butter if you want to live longer, scientists say.
A study found people who eat more plant fats than animal fats are less likely to die young.
They said the single diet swap had a huge effect.
Health records collected over 30 years from 200,000 people suggested the risk was 17 per cent lower among cooks using oil than those using fat.
They were on average less likely to have died of heart disease, cancer or any cause during the study.
Study author Dr Yu Zhang, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, USA, said: “What's surprising is the magnitude of the association that we found.
Read more on diet swaps
“We saw a 17 per cent lower risk of death when we modelled swapping butter with plant-based oils in daily diet.
“That is a pretty huge effect on health.”
Both oil and butter are types of fat but the way the body digests them is different.
Animal fats including lard and ghee are saturated, meaning they are slower to digest and may be more likely to raise bad cholesterol or get stored as fat cells.
Oils are unsaturated and they get absorbed quicker by the body and are more likely to raise good cholesterol.
Olive oil is used a lot in the Mediterranean diet, which is widely considered the healthiest way to eat.
It also includes a lot of fruit, vegetables and fish, and not much red meat or added sugar.
Study co-author Dr Daniel Wang said: “People might want to consider that a simple dietary swap – replacing butter with olive oil – can lead to significant long-term health benefits.
Even cutting back butter a little can have meaningful health benefits
Dr Daniel Wang
“Even cutting back butter a little and incorporating more plant-based oils into your daily diet can have meaningful long-term health benefits.
“A substantial number of deaths from cancer or other chronic diseases could be prevented.”
The study was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
How to follow the Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet is rich in plants - think nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
The main fat is olive oil (usually extra virgin), and the diet usually includes moderate intake of fish, poultry, dairy, eggs and alcohol.
Other meat, sweets, beer, processed foods and refined grains are kept to a minimum.
Features of a Mediterranean lifestyle that may also benefit a person’s health include sharing meals with others, consuming red wine and flavouring foods with herbs and spices rather than salt.
A typical day following a Mediterranean diet may look like this:
BREAKFAST
Yoghurt with granola, banana, figs, almonds, sunflower seeds and peanut butter
LUNCH
Chicken salad with chickpeas, mozzarella, tomato, cucumber, kale, spinach, onion and a slice of wholemeal bread and extra virgin olive oil
DINNER
Grilled sea bass with brown rice, rocket and a glass of red wine
SNACKS
Apple and almond butter, hummus and crackers and boiled egg