Spanish ministers stress the importance of studying the health benefits of olive oil

Spanish government ministers have praised the role of scientific research on the health benefits of olive oil, unveiling the results of a seven-year CordioPrev study. A CordioPrev study published in May showed that following a Mediterranean diet is better in terms of secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases – interventions that slow the progression of the disease than following a low–fat diet. 

While numerous studies have demonstrated that the Mediterranean diet is superior to low-fat diets in terms of primary prevention – delaying the onset of the disease - CardioPrev was the first study to compare the effectiveness of the diet in more than 1,000 active patients with heart disease. 

Diana Morant, Spain's Minister of Science and Innovation, said that thanks to this study, "we can improve the life expectancy of many people who have already suffered a coronary stroke." The Minister added that this type of research requires considerable time and investment to bear fruit. As a result, it announced the allocation of 3.1 million euros to finance 12 approved projects and five research contracts. 

Luis Planas (Minister of Agriculture) believes that Spain has great potential to take a leading role in research on healthy nutrition, thanks to the country's outstanding role as a producer and exporter of food. 

According to the ministry, Spain is the fourth largest exporter of agri-food products in the EU and the seventh largest in the world. Despite expectations of a historically low harvest, the country remains the world's largest producer of olive oil by a wide  margin.