When Chef Mario Rizzotti was on my show a few months ago, he said he pours himself a shot of olive oil every morning and drinks it. He knows it’s good for you. And a new study shows that he might be on to something. They reviewed data from nearly 100k people comparing how much butter, margarine, and olive oil they ate. The ones who had the most olive oil showed a 19% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Also, 17% less chance of dying from cancer, 29% less chance from Alzheimer’s or other neurodegenerative disease, and 18% less chance from a respiratory disease.
I used to used margarine and other bad oils on everything until I found out I had high cholesterol about 20 years ago. I had never used olive oil. Once I started using it, I was mad at myself for not having used it before. It makes everything taste so much better. I use so much that I buy three quarts at a time. But I don’t chug like Mario. Neither will you. The study says you can get those benefits with just half a tablespoon a day.