Key Points:
- Compared to margarine, eating olive oil with breakfast reduces inflammatory molecules associated with cardiovascular disease.
- Compared to olive oil, eating margarine with breakfast reduces an inflammatory molecule called EGF, which may mitigate cardiovascular diseases.
If worrying about what to eat was not enough, studies indicate that when to eat is important for healthy aging as well. However, this may not be complicated, as a new study from the Universidad Católica de Murcia in Spain reveals.
In the study, published in Nutrients, Delgado-Alarcon and colleagues showed that inflammatory molecules called IL-6 (interleukin-6) and CRP (C-reactive protein) were reduced when olive oil, as opposed to margarine or butter, was eaten with breakfast. Additionally, they showed that EGF (epidermal growth factor) was reduced when margarine, as opposed to olive oil or butter, was eaten with breakfast. The authors said,
“A seemingly straightforward alteration, such as changing the type of fat eaten at breakfast, may be enough to change an individual’s inflammatory profile.”
This alteration may be worthwhile, considering that inflammation is associated with multiple age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and atherosclerosis — clogged arteries.
Certain Fats at Breakfast Reduce Inflammation
The participants of the study were institutionalized women, which allowed the researchers to precisely control each meal. A total of 51 participants, who were around the age of 65 and overweight, completed the study. The participants were divided into three groups and each group consumed a breakfast including coffee, toast, and 20 g of fat: either margarine (without trans fat), butter, or virgin olive oil.
After 30 days, the researchers found that the participants in the olive oil group had a 24.5% reduction in IL-6, whereas the participants from the margarine and butter groups did not see a significant reduction. Furthermore, IL-6 and CRP were reduced more in the olive oil group than in the margarine group, suggesting suppression of inflammation.
“The decrease in IL-6, along with its downstream product CRP, holds substantial relevance in enhancing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease management, given that multiple previous studies in humans have shown that elevated levels of these factors correlate with heightened cardiovascular risk,” said the authors.
In contrast to IL-6 and CRP, EGF was elevated in participants who ate breakfast with olive oil. Moreover, consuming margarine for breakfast increased EGF levels. Overall, the margarine group had lower levels of EGF than the olive oil group. These findings suggest that margarine lowers some inflammatory factors while olive oil reduces others when eaten at breakfast. The authors said,
“Breakfast [with margarine] may also be adequate since, while its influence on most of the parameters studied was modest, a significant decrease in EGF values was observed, which may be interesting in mitigating the severity of cardiovascular diseases.”
Overall, butter compared to olive oil or margarine at breakfast reduces different circulating pro-inflammatory molecules. However, since there is more data showing that IL-6 and CRP influence the development of cardiovascular aging and atherosclerosis than EGF, the authors conclude,
“Given the perspective that atherosclerosis fundamentally constitutes a chronic inflammatory disorder, it is plausible to argue that augmenting the breakfast with virgin olive oil could foster an anti-inflammatory profile, potentially contributing to the reduction of cardiovascular disease incidence.”
What’s the Skinny on Fats?
When it comes to healthy aging, keeping inflammation to a minimum is paramount, as it is a major driver of aging. Therefore, choosing fats that promote the least amount of inflammation could potentially help to slow the aging process.
Fats associated with promoting inflammation include saturated fats, trans fats, and omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fats are found in butter, beef, and other animal products. Trans fats are found in baked goods like pastries, pizza dough, and cookies. Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats are found in corn, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oil, which degrade when heated.
Fats associated with reducing inflammation, considered healthy fats, include monounsaturated fats and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats can be found in olive oil, peanut oil, nuts like almonds and pistachios, and avocados. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats can be found in fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel, as well as in nuts like walnuts and pine nuts.
Additionally, previous studies have shown that eating more fat in the morning compared to at night may mitigate inflammation, as eating late can disrupt our sleep-wake cycle and trigger metabolic dysregulation. Therefore, getting most of our fat intake in the morning in the form of healthy fats like olive oil could do the most in mitigating inflammation and aging.
Comments