Can olive oil help lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes in patients with prediabetes?

This study investigated whether olive oil enriched with oleanolic acid (OA) could help prevent Type 2 diabetes (T2D) in patients with prediabetes. The authors concluded that OA-enriched oil helped lower the risk of developing T2D in these patients.

The development of diabetes often comes after what is called prediabetes. Prediabetes involves a condition called dysglycemia. This means that blood glucose levels are not fluctuating too much and are not being adequately regulated by insulin. As a result, blood sugar levels are high before and after eating. Patients with prediabetes are 20 times more likely to develop diabetes compared to healthy blood sugar levels. Preventing diabetes in these individuals is especially important.

OA is a substance found in the olive plant. It has been shown to improve the action of insulin and help protect pancreas cells, which are usually damaged in diabetes. Adding OA to olive oil (enrichment) is one way for patients to consume it. Whether OA-enriched oil can help prevent T2D in patients with prediabetes is under investigation.

This study had 176 participants with prediabetes. Patients were considered overweight or obese. Patients were divided into two groups. The intervention group received OA-enriched olive oil while the control group received non-enriched olive oil. Both groups consumed 55 milliliters of oil a day, across three meals. Patients also participated in workshops about healthy foods, recipes, and how to cook with olive oil. Patients were followed-up for an average of 27.5 months.

Overall, 48 patients developed T2D during the study. This included 17 patients in the intervention group, compared to 17 patients in the control group.

Consuming OA-enriched olive oil significantly lowered the risk of developing T2D by 46.7%. Even with high cholesterol and poor exercise, OA-enriched olive oil reduced diabetes risk by 55.2% compared to regular olive oil. On average, patients in the intervention group survived for significantly longer without developing diabetes compared to the control group (27.0 months vs. 24.3 months).

This study concluded that OA-enriched oil was effective in lowering the risk of T2D in patients with prediabetes.

This study had a small number of patients. These patients were at high risk of developing diabetes, so these results may not apply to younger individuals or those with a lower risk.

Talk to your doctor about dietary changes that may help lower your risk of developing diabetes, such as adding olive oil to your diet.