Olive oil may help lower the risk of heart disease in the U.S. according to new research.

Prior studies have linked high consumption of olive oil with better cardiovascular health, explains Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.  Heart attacks are one of the three major health events covered by critical illness insurance policies.

"Olive oil consumption is much higher in Mediterranean countries than it is in the United States," Slome shared.  "The preliminary research showed that it would be a beneficial substitute for Americans who tend to favor butter or mayonnaise."

The goal of the research was to investigate whether higher olive oil consumption would be beneficial to heart health in the U.S.  

The Association shared results of the olive oil health study.  The study examined participants starting in 1990 and continuing to 2014. All study participants were free of cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases at the beginning of the study.  Participants answered questionnaires about their diet and lifestyle every four years.

Researchers found those who ate more than half a tablespoon of olive oil each day had a lower risk of having any kind of cardiovascular disease as well as a lower risk of coronary heart disease. 

By replacing one teaspoon of butter, margarine, mayonnaise or dairy fat with the same amount of olive oil, the risk of cardiovascular disease was lowered by 5%.

Consuming more olive oil didn't impact stroke risk according to the study that was reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The Association recently launched the Critical Illness Insurance News Center where summaries of significant research can be found.  To access visit the organization's website.