Key Takeaways
- Extra virgin olive oil may help promote healthier blood pressure levels due to its unsaturated fat and polyphenol content.
- A daily spoonful of olive oil can benefit your heart health, especially when it replaces less-healthy saturated fats.
- Consistent use and quality matter, so choose reputable EVOO and try it in various ways.
Olive oil is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, praised for its heart, brain, and anti-inflammatory benefits. Consuming a spoonful of olive oil every day may benefit blood pressure as well.
How Olive Oil Lowers Blood Pressure
Olive oil helps lower blood pressure by:
- Combating oxidative stress (an imbalance of harmful molecules known as free radicals and helpful antioxidants, which can promote cellular aging and disease)
- Improving endothelial function (how well blood vessels work)
- Relaxing blood vessels
One of olive oil’s main nutritional benefits is its high unsaturated “healthy” fat content, particularly monounsaturated fats. These healthy fats help reduce your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (“bad cholesterol”), thus lowering blood pressure and your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Olive oil also contains polyphenols, antioxidants that help combat oxidative stress and prevent inflammation. These nutrients may help relax blood vessels and improve endothelial function, vital in reducing high blood pressure.
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) tends to contain greater amounts of these compounds than regular olive oil.
Studies suggest that moderate EVOO consumption is associated with improved blood pressure, especially when it replaces saturated fats in the diet.
Olive Oil vs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: What’s the Difference?
The main difference between regular and extra-virgin olive oil lies in their processing and nutritional quality, as follows:
- EVOO is made from cold-pressed olives without chemicals or heat, which helps retain more important compounds like polyphenols.
- Regular olive oil is a blend of refined olive oil (which uses chemical and heat processing to remove imperfections) and a small amount of virgin olive oil, which gives it a milder flavor, lighter color, and fewer beneficial compounds.
How Long Does It Take To Work?
As with any food or substance, the health benefits of olive oil are not immediate. You’re more likely to notice blood pressure–lowering effects when you incorporate olive oil into your routine over time, especially as part of a healthy diet.
Clinical studies have shown that a regular, moderate intake of olive oil might help slightly lower high blood pressure in a matter of several weeks. However, results can vary depending on what else you’re eating, your physical activity, and your baseline blood pressure.
Can You Use Olive Oil If You Have High Blood Pressure?
If you have high blood pressure, replacing less healthy saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats like olive oil can help support heart health.
Ongoing consumption of saturated fats, such as from red meat, coconut oil, and palm oil, is associated with an increased risk of plaque buildup in the arteries (called atherosclerosis), which contributes to high blood pressure and an increased risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.
Unsaturated fats, such as those in olive oil, do not have these adverse effects but offer heart health benefits instead.
How Much Should You Use?
One or 2 tablespoons of olive oil (preferably EVOO) taken on an ongoing basis is typically enough to benefit heart health, as well as provide benefits beyond lowering blood pressure.
For instance, research suggests that olive oil can help to:
- Promote healthier cholesterol levels
- Promote satiety (a satisfied feeling of fullness that can prevent overeating)
- Provide a steady source of antioxidants, which is important for disease prevention
- Support gut health
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Tips for Choosing Olive Oil
Not all olive oils are created equal. EVOO contains more polyphenols and antioxidants than other olive oils, so it’s the best choice for heart-health benefits.
It’s also vital to choose olive oil from a reputable source or one with a certification of authenticity. Some olive oils are adulterated, meaning that other substances may be added to them to lower their quality—and often manufacturing costs—while increasing the amount in the bottle.
For example, there are reports of other oils, such as seed or hazelnut oil, being commonly added to lower-quality olive oils. This is a type of food fraud.
Here are some tips to choose high-quality olive oil:
- Be cautious with olive oils that bear significantly lower prices.
- Choose extra virgin olive oil whenever possible.
- Choose oils kept in dark glass bottles to protect them from light damage.
- Look for oils with a harvest or “pressed” date rather than a “best by” date, which doesn’t hold the same value.
- When possible, choose bottles with a free fatty acidity (FFA) level listed on them, indicating higher quality.
Easy Ways to Use Olive Oil
Use olive oil as part of an overall healthy diet. Replacing saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats, like olive oil, is an excellent step toward supporting healthier blood pressure levels.
Simple ways to add a spoonful of EVOO to your day are:
- Take 1 tablespoon straight, if you prefer keeping it simple.
- Add your favorite herbs to a small dish of olive oil and dip whole-grain bread in it at a meal.
- Add it to homemade soups.
- Use it to sauté vegetables over medium heat or to roast them in the oven.
- Drizzle it over green salads with balsamic vinegar instead of bottled salad dressings.