Extra virgin olive oil is one of the few foods that repeatedly appears in conversations about cardiovascular health, Mediterranean-style eating, and longevity.
Unlike many supplements marketed for healthy aging, olive oil is not an isolated compound in a capsule. It is a whole-food fat that has been consumed for thousands of years and has a substantial amount of human research behind it.
Large observational studies consistently associate greater olive oil consumption with lower rates of cardiovascular disease and premature death. Randomized clinical trial data also support cardiovascular benefit when extra virgin olive oil is incorporated into a Mediterranean-style diet.
So should you deliberately include extra virgin olive oil in your diet every day?
For many people, I think the answer is yes—with one important qualification.
It works best when it replaces less healthy sources of fat, rather than simply being poured on top of an already excessive calorie intake.
What makes extra virgin olive oil different?
Olive oil is produced by extracting the fat from olives.
But not all olive oil is the same.
Extra virgin olive oil, or EVOO, is the least processed form. It is produced mechanically without the extensive refining used to make many conventional oils.
That matters because extra virgin olive oil retains more of the naturally occurring plant compounds found in olives, particularly polyphenols.
It is also rich in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid that makes up much of the fat in a traditional Mediterranean diet.
Regular or refined olive oil may still provide monounsaturated fat, but it generally contains fewer of the polyphenols that appear to contribute to some of EVOO's health effects.
This may help explain why some research finds stronger associations with extra virgin or virgin olive oil than with more refined varieties.
The cardiovascular evidence is particularly strong
The most compelling reason to regularly consume extra virgin olive oil is cardiovascular health.
One of the landmark studies in this area was the PREDIMED trial, which studied adults at increased cardiovascular risk.
Participants following a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil experienced fewer major cardiovascular events than those assigned to a control diet.
This is important because much of nutrition research is observational. Researchers normally have to watch what people eat and then follow them for years.
PREDIMED actually assigned participants to dietary interventions.
That gives us stronger evidence that a Mediterranean dietary pattern incorporating extra virgin olive oil can meaningfully influence cardiovascular risk.
More recent analyses of the trial have continued to suggest that extra virgin olive oil itself may be particularly important, rather than simply olive oil of any type.
Olive oil and longevity
Large long-term population studies also consistently find an association between olive oil consumption and lower mortality.
In major U.S. cohorts followed for decades, people consuming more olive oil had lower rates of death from several causes, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and respiratory disease.
Similar findings have been reported in Mediterranean populations.
The general pattern is remarkably consistent:
People who regularly consume olive oil tend to have better long-term health outcomes.
But there is an important distinction.
Most of these mortality findings are observational.
That means we cannot say that olive oil alone caused people to live longer.
People who consume extra virgin olive oil may also be more likely to eat vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and fish. They may exercise more, smoke less, or have other healthy behaviors.
Researchers attempt to adjust for these factors, but no observational study can eliminate them completely.
So I would not call olive oil a life-extension drug.
I would say that it is one of the foods most consistently associated with a dietary pattern linked to healthy aging.
You probably don't need an enormous amount
Another interesting finding is that benefits appear even at relatively modest intakes.
You do not necessarily need to drink several tablespoons of olive oil every morning.
Some large studies have observed lower mortality with amounts considerably smaller than the intake commonly seen in Mediterranean countries.
Other studies suggest benefits may continue as intake increases into the range of a few tablespoons per day.
For most people, I think a practical target is around one to two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil per day, assuming it fits comfortably within overall calorie needs.
Someone following a Mediterranean diet may consume more.
The more important question is not whether you reached an exact tablespoon target.
It is:
What is the olive oil replacing?
Replacement matters
This is one of the most important points in nutrition research.
Adding olive oil to a diet already containing excessive calories and large amounts of butter, processed foods, and saturated fat is not the same thing as using olive oil instead of those foods.
The strongest case for EVOO is when it replaces fats such as:
Butter
Lard
Shortening
Certain creamy sauces
Some highly processed foods
Large amounts of animal fat
For example, vegetables sautéed in extra virgin olive oil instead of butter make sense.
So does using EVOO with vinegar on a salad rather than a highly processed creamy dressing.
Replacing some butter on bread with olive oil is another reasonable strategy.
This is less about adding a “superfood” and more about improving the overall composition of the diet.
What about replacing other plant oils?
This is more nuanced.
Olive oil clearly appears healthier than many sources of animal fat and ultra-processed fats.
That does not necessarily mean EVOO is dramatically healthier than every other unsaturated plant oil.
Oils such as canola, avocado, and other unsaturated plant oils can also fit into a healthy diet.
Some large observational studies suggest that replacing animal fats with olive oil is associated with better outcomes, while replacing other plant oils with olive oil does not necessarily produce the same magnitude of benefit.
So I would not frame this as:
“Olive oil is healthy and every other oil is unhealthy.”
Nutrition is rarely that simple.
The strongest evidence supports replacing saturated and highly processed fat sources with predominantly unsaturated fats, with EVOO being one particularly well-studied option.
Why might EVOO be beneficial?
There probably is not one single mechanism.
Part of the benefit likely comes from its fatty-acid composition.
Extra virgin olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, particularly oleic acid.
But its polyphenols may be equally interesting.
These plant compounds may influence:
Oxidative stress
Inflammation
Blood vessel function
LDL oxidation
Platelet activity
Glucose metabolism
This is one reason I prefer extra virgin olive oil rather than simply looking for a bottle labeled olive oil.
The less-refined product preserves more of the biologically active compounds present in the olive.
EVOO and cholesterol
Olive oil should not be thought of as a cholesterol-lowering medication.
But substituting unsaturated fats for saturated fats can improve the lipid profile.
The polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil may also help protect LDL particles from oxidative modification and support vascular health.
For someone with elevated LDL cholesterol or ApoB, however, I would not simply recommend adding several tablespoons of olive oil and assume the problem is solved.
The entire dietary pattern still matters.
So do genetics, body composition, physical activity, fiber intake, blood pressure, glucose control, smoking status, and medications when indicated.
EVOO can be part of cardiovascular risk reduction.
It is not a substitute for comprehensive risk management.
What about cancer?
This requires some restraint.
Observational studies have associated higher olive oil consumption with lower cancer mortality in some populations.
That does not mean olive oil has been proven to prevent cancer.
Meta-analyses examining cancer incidence have produced less consistent results.
So I would not tell patients to take extra virgin olive oil because it is an anticancer treatment.
A more reasonable interpretation is that EVOO fits within a Mediterranean dietary pattern that is generally associated with favorable metabolic health, healthy body weight, higher plant-food consumption, and lower chronic disease risk.
Those factors collectively matter for cancer prevention.
What about brain health?
There are also intriguing associations between higher olive oil intake and lower neurodegenerative mortality.
Again, that does not prove EVOO directly prevents Alzheimer's disease.
But several mechanisms make the relationship plausible.
Cardiovascular health and brain health are closely connected.
Anything that supports healthy blood vessels, metabolic health, and lower cardiovascular risk may also support long-term brain health.
The polyphenols in EVOO are additionally being studied for potential effects on oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.
I consider this promising, but not a reason to market olive oil as a dementia treatment.
One major downside: calories
This is probably the most overlooked issue with olive oil.
Olive oil is extremely calorie-dense.
One tablespoon contains roughly 120 calories.
Two tablespoons add around 240 calories.
Three tablespoons can approach 360 calories.
Those calories can be perfectly compatible with a healthy diet.
But they still count.
Someone trying to lose weight who begins pouring olive oil generously onto every meal could unintentionally erase their calorie deficit.
That would be counterproductive, particularly because maintaining a healthy body composition is itself an important part of cardiovascular and cancer prevention.
This is why I prefer to think about EVOO as a replacement, not simply an addition.
If olive oil replaces butter, cheese-heavy sauces, mayonnaise, or another calorie source, the equation looks different.
Should you drink olive oil by itself?
You can.
I just don't think there is a compelling reason to.
Social media occasionally promotes taking a “shot” of olive oil every morning.
There is nothing magical about consuming it straight from a spoon.
I would rather incorporate it into food.
Drizzle it over vegetables.
Use it in a salad dressing.
Add it to beans.
Use it with whole grains.
Pair it with tomatoes.
Cook with it.
That approach makes EVOO part of an overall healthy dietary pattern rather than another supplement ritual.
Can you cook with extra virgin olive oil?
Yes.
One persistent myth is that extra virgin olive oil should never be heated.
EVOO is actually reasonably stable during normal cooking because its monounsaturated fat content and antioxidant compounds make it relatively resistant to oxidation.
You do not need to reserve it exclusively for cold salads.
It can be used for sautéing, roasting, and most routine home cooking.
Very high-temperature deep frying is a different situation, but that is not how most people need to use EVOO.
Quality matters
If you are going to consume olive oil regularly, I would choose a good-quality extra virgin olive oil.
Look for a product clearly labeled:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A darker bottle or container can help protect the oil from light.
Freshness also matters because polyphenols and flavor compounds decline over time.
Good EVOO often has a slightly bitter or peppery quality.
That sensation is partly related to some of the phenolic compounds naturally found in the oil.
Store it somewhere cool and dark rather than next to a hot stove or in direct sunlight.
There is no need to obsess over finding the most expensive bottle available.
The goal is simply a legitimate, fresh EVOO that you actually enjoy enough to use regularly.
Does everyone need extra virgin olive oil?
No.
Someone can eat a very healthy diet without olive oil.
Whole-food fat sources such as nuts, seeds, avocado, and fish also provide valuable nutrients.
If someone prefers a very low-fat whole-food plant-based diet and is thriving on it, I would not argue that they need to start drinking olive oil for longevity.
But for most people who consume added fats, EVOO is one of the better options.
And unlike many longevity supplements, we have meaningful human outcomes data supporting its place in a healthy dietary pattern.
How I would actually use it
I generally prefer a simple approach.
Use extra virgin olive oil as your primary added culinary fat when appropriate.
A tablespoon in a salad dressing and another used with vegetables or dinner can easily provide a reasonable daily amount.
Combine it with foods that already have strong evidence behind them:
vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fish, and other minimally processed foods.
That begins to resemble the dietary pattern in which olive oil has actually been studied.
Not olive oil added to an otherwise poor diet.
EVOO versus an olive oil supplement
I would choose the food.
There are olive polyphenol supplements and extracts on the market.
They may have interesting biological effects, and research into compounds such as hydroxytyrosol continues.
But we already have substantial evidence for the actual food.
This is similar to many other areas of nutrition.
Instead of identifying one compound in a healthy food and immediately putting it into a capsule, sometimes the simplest approach makes the most sense:
Eat the food that produced the epidemiologic signal in the first place.
Is extra virgin olive oil a longevity food?
I think it is reasonable to call it one of the better-supported foods within a longevity-oriented dietary pattern.
That does not mean olive oil by itself makes you live longer.
It means EVOO is a central component of a Mediterranean dietary pattern that has some of the strongest evidence in nutrition for cardiovascular health and long-term disease prevention.
Large cohorts associate regular olive oil consumption with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
Randomized clinical trial evidence supports a Mediterranean diet enriched with EVOO for reducing major cardiovascular events.
And the biological mechanisms are plausible.
That combination is considerably more convincing to me than most products marketed as “longevity supplements.”
My practical take
I am generally in favor of including extra virgin olive oil in the diet daily.
For many people, one to two tablespoons per day is a practical amount.
Someone following a Mediterranean-style diet may consume more, particularly if calorie needs allow it.
But I would focus less on reaching an exact dose and more on what EVOO is replacing.
Using it instead of butter, processed dressings, and other less favorable fats probably makes more sense than simply adding several hundred calories of olive oil to whatever you are already eating.
And I would choose extra virgin olive oil when possible because the polyphenol content appears to be an important part of its benefit.
Bottom line
Extra virgin olive oil is one of the better-supported foods for cardiovascular health and healthy aging.
Long-term population studies consistently associate regular olive oil consumption with lower mortality, particularly from cardiovascular disease, while the PREDIMED randomized trial provides stronger evidence that a Mediterranean diet enriched with EVOO can reduce major cardiovascular events.
The benefits likely come from a combination of monounsaturated fats, polyphenols, and—just as importantly—the foods EVOO replaces.
For most people, including roughly one to two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil per day as part of a predominantly whole-food, plant-forward Mediterranean diet is a reasonable strategy.
Just remember that olive oil is still calorie-dense.
The goal is not to pour as much as possible onto your food.
It is to use a high-quality fat, in an appropriate amount, as part of an overall dietary pattern that supports long-term health.