Table 2.
RCT assessing the effect of olive oil on blood pressure.
| First Author, Year [ref] | N, Sex, Age (yr), Weight (kg) (or BMI) | Health Status | Study Design and Country | Intervention | Measure | Administration | Δ SBP (mmHg) | Δ DBP (mmHg) | Main Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mensink, 1988 [59] | 47, male and female, 27 ± NR; 71 ± NR | healthy | RCT, parallel, Netherlands | 8-week OO-enriched diet vs. CHO diet | Office | liquid | −2.3 in CHO-group; −2.7 in OO-group |
−4.7 in CHO group; −4.4 in OO-group |
Both interventions decreased SBP and DBP significantly, but there were no differences between groups |
| Rasmussen, 1993 [50] | 15, male and female, 57 ± 2; 80.5 ± 3.8 | diabetics | RCT, cross-over, Denmark | 3-week intervention with 3-week wash-out period, EVOO-enriched diet vs. CHO diet | 24-AMBP | liquid, cold pressed olive oil | −4.0 in EVOO diet vs. CHO diet | −3.0 in EVOO diet vs. CHO diet | SBP and DBP significantly lower after MUFA diet than CHO diet |
| Rasmussen, 2006 [58] | 162, male and female, 48.5 ± 8.0, 26.5 ± 3.8 kg/m2 (BMI) | healthy | RCT, parallel, multicenter | 12-week intervention with MUFA diet or SFA diet. Each group was further randomly assigned to receive supplementation with fish oil or placebo | Office | margarine with a high proportion of oleic acid, derived from high-oleic acid sunflower oil | −2.2% | −3.8% | SBP and DBP decreased with the MUFA diet but did not change with the SFA diet |
| Thomsen, 1995 [49] | 16, male and female, 59 ± 7, 81.6 ± 15.1 | diabetics | RCT, cross-over, Denmark | 3-week intervention with 3-week wash-out period, MUFA diet (EVOO) vs. PUFA diet | 24-AMBP | liquid, cold pressed olive oil | −5.1 in EVOO diet vs. PUFA diet | −3.8 in EVOO diet vs. CHO diet | SBP and DBP were lower after EVOO diet than after PUFA diet |
| Ruiz-Gutierrez, 1996 [47] | 16, female, 56.2 ± 5.4, NR | NC and HC hypertensive women | RCT, parallel, Spain | 4-week intervention with 4-week wash-out period, EVOO vs. HOSO | Office | liquid, cold pressed OO or SO | −10 in NC women on EVOO; −7 in HC women on EVOO; −6 in NC women on HOSO; −2,26 in HC women on HOSO |
−10 in NC women on EVOO; −6 in HC women on EVOO; −4 in NC women on HOSO; −5.92 in HC women on HOSO |
Significant decrease in SBP and DBP after EVOO but not after HOSO |
| Ferrara, 2000 [51] | 23, male and female, age range 25–70, 70 ± 9 | hypertensive | RCT, cross-over, Italy | 24-week intervention, EVOO diet vs. SO diet | Office | liquid, cold pressed OO or SO | −7 in EVOO diet; +1 in SO diet |
−6 in EVOO diet; no change in SO diet |
SBP and DBP decresed after EVOO but not after SO. Reduced need for antihypertensive drugs after EVOO |
| Appel, 2005 [53] | 164, male and female, 53.6 ± 10.9; 87.3 ± 18.7 | pre-hypertensives and hypertensives | RCT, cross-over, USA | CHO-rich diet (similar to the DASH trial) vs. protein-rich diet vs. MUFA-rich diet-2-4-week wash-out period between each feeding period. | Office | liquid, olive, canola, and safflower oils beside to nuts and seeds | −9.3 in MUFA rich diet; −8.2 in CHO rich diet |
−4.8 in MUFA rich diet; −4.1 in CHO rich diet |
SBP and DBP were lower after MUFA-rich diet compared with CHO diet; no significant difference there were between protein and MUFA diets |
| Perona, 2004 [48] | 62, male and female, 84.0 ± 7.4; 28.8 ± 5.2 kg/m2 (BMI) | hypertensive and normotensive | RCT, cross-over, Spain | 4-week intervention with 4-week wash-out period, EVOO diet vs. SO diet | Office | liquid, cold pressed OO or SO | −12 in EVOO diet vs. SO diet in hypertensive | no difference between EVOO and SO | Normalization of SBP after EVOO in hypertensive individuals. No effect on DBP |
| Taylor, 2006 [52] | 40, men, 47 ± 8; 97 ± 13 | overweight | RCT, parallel, UK | OO, 6 g/day capsules; CLA, 4.5 g/day capsules | Office | capsules | +0.2 in OO group; −0.4 in CLA group |
−0.8 in OO group; +0.1 in CLA group |
With OO only DBP decrease (by trend); with conjugated linoleic acid only SBP decrease by trend |
| Konstantinidou, 2010 [44] | 90, male and female, 45 ± 10; 68 ± 15 | healthy | RCT, parallel, Spain | 12-week intervention with MD + OO (low polyphenol content) or MD +EVOO (high polyphenol content); habitual diet | Office | liquid | −1.63 in low polyphenol OO; −0.4 in EVOO; +1.4 in control diet |
−0.8 in low polyphenol OO; +1.12 in EVOO +1.67 in control diet |
With low polyphenols OO SBP and DBP decrease (by trend); with EVO only SBP decrease (by trend) |
| Fitò, 2005 [45] | 40, male, 68 ± 8; 27.5 ± 3 kg/m2 (BMI) | at CHD risk and hypertensive | RCT, cross-over, Spain | 3-week intervention with 2-week wash-out period, EVOO vs. ROO | Office | liquid | −2.53 in EVOO group vs. ROO group | +1.16 in EVOO group vs. ROO group | With EVOO SBP decreased in hypertensive patients. No changes were observed in DBP |
| Moreno Luna, 2012 [46] | 24, women, age range: 24–27 years, BMI range: 23.5–27.1 kg/m2 | hypertensive and normotensive women | RCT, cross-over, Spain | 8-week intervention with MD + OO (polyphenol free) or MD + EVOO (rich in polyphenols); 4-week wash-out period; | Office | liquid | −7.91 in EVOO group vs. baseline; −1.65 in OO polyphenol free group vs. baseline |
−6.65 in EVOO group vs. baseline; −2.17 in OO polyphenol free group vs. baseline |
Only polyphenol-rich OO decrease SBP and DBP |
| Bondia-Pons, 2008 [57] | 160, male, 33.3 ± 11.1; 75.8 ± 9.7 kg | healthy | RCT, cross-over multicenter | 3-week intervention with 2-week wash-out periods. OO with different polyphenol content (low, medium, high) | Office | liquid | −4.7 after consuming OO for 9 wk in Northern Europe subjects vs. baseline; −4.4 after consuming OO for 9 wk in Central Europe subjects vs. baseline |
−2.2 after consuming OO for 9 wk in Northern Europe subjects vs. baseline; −3.1 after consuming OO for 9 wk in Central Europe subjects vs. baseline |
Only SBP significantly decreased after 9 wk of OO |
| Rozati, 2015 [54] | 41; male and female; 72.0 ± 1; 80 ± 2 | overweight and obese | RCT, parallel, USA | 12-week intervention with American diet + EVOO or American diet + Control oil (corn oil and soybean oil) | Office | liquid | −6 in EVOO group vs. baseline; no change in control oil group vs. baseline |
−3 in EVOO group vs. baseline; −3 in control oil group vs. baseline |
Only SBP significantly decreased after 12 wk of EVOO |
| Venturini, 2015 [55] | 102; male and female; 51.4 ± 8.27; NR | metabolic syndrome | RCT, parallel, Brazil | (1) 12-week intervention with 3 g/d of fish oil; (2) 10 mL/d of EVOO at lunch and dinner; (3) fish oil and plus EVOO. (4) control group (usual diet); | Office | liquid | −5 in EVOO group vs. baseline; no change in control oil group vs. baseline |
−5 in EVOO group vs. baseline; no change in control oil group vs. baseline |
In the OO group both SBP and DBP decreased |
| Toledo, 2013 [42] | 7158, male and female, 66.1 ± 6.1, 30 ± 4 kg/m2 (BMI) | at CHD risk and hypertensive | RCT, parallel, multicenter, Spain | 4.8-year intervention with (1) MD supplemented with EEVOO, (2) MD supplemented with mixed nuts or (3) control diet (low-fat diet). | Office | liquid | no change in EVOO vs. control | −1.53 in EVOO vs. control; −0.65 in nut group vs. control |
Only DBP significantly decreased after 4.5 yr of EVOO |
| Doménech, 2014 [43] | 235, male and female, 66.1 ± 6.1, 78 ± 11 | at CHD risk and hypertensive | RCT, parallel, multicenter, Spain | 4.8-year intervention with (1) MD supplemented with EVOO, (2) MD supplemented with mixed nuts or (3) control diet (low-fat diet). | 24-AMBP | liquid | −2.3 in EVOO vs. baseline; −2.6 in nut groups vs. baseline; +1.7 in the control group vs. baseline |
−1.2 in EVOO vs. baseline; −1.2 in nut groups vs. baseline; +0.7 in the control group vs. baseline |
SBP and DBP decreased with the MD enriched in EVOO or nut |
| Martin-Pelàez, 2015 [63] | 22, male, 36.0 ± 11.1, 78.5 ± 11.9 | healthy | RCT, cross-over, Spain | 3-week intervention with 2-week wash-out period, EVOO vs. ROO | Office | liquid | −4.22 in EVOO group vs. baseline | −2.11 in EVOO group vs. baseline | SBP and DBP were significantly reduced only in EVOO |
| Ceriello, 2104 [41] | 22, male and female, NR, 29.1 ± 1.2 | diabetics | RCT, parallel, Spain | 12-week intervention with MD + EVOO or a control low-fat diet | Office | liquid | no change in EVOO vs. baseline | no change in EVOO vs. baseline | No effect |
| Passfall, 1993 [56] | 10, male and female, age range 40–61, NR | hypertensive | RCT, cross-over, Germany | 6-week intervention with 4-week wash-out period, supplementation with OO (9 g) vs. fish oil (9 g) | Office | capsules | no change after OO vs. baseline | no change after OO vs. baseline | No effect |
Abbreviations. BMI, body mass index; RCT, randomized controlled trial; EVOO, extra virgin olive oil; OO, olive oil; ROO, refined olive oil; SO, sunflower oil; CLA, conjugated linoleic acid; HOSO, high oleic sunflower oil; SFA, saturated fatty acid; MUFA, monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acid; CHO, carbohydrate; NR, not reported, AMBP, ambulatory monitoring of blood pressure; HC, hypercolesterolemic; NC, normocholesterolemic; MD, Mediterranean diet, N., number of participants.