A new brew: Coffee plus olive oil
How do you take your coffee? Milk, sugar... how about olive oil? My thoughts on the new Starbuck's "Oleato" coffee line and your health.
If you’ve ever traveled to Italy, you’re likely familiar with the Italian passion for good coffee. Espresso bars can be found scattered across every major city and the countryside even in the smallest of villages. The ritual of enjoying an espresso standing at the coffee bar is as much a treasured food tradition as gelato in the summer or pasta basically any day of the year.
Starbuck’s latest caffeinated concoction is hitting the news after debuting in Milan at the start of fashion week. It will be rolled out in southern California as a beverage option at the chain later this spring. The new line is called Oleato™—inspired by the Italian term for “oiled.” Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, which has been the subject of numerous population-level studies on health and longevity. During my 20 years of research on food, health, and medicinal plants in Italy, I have never encountered a combination of coffee and olive oil, despite Italians' deep appreciation for both. I can imagine this new product was met with much curiosity in Milan!
The American Heart Association has interpreted studies evaluating the consumption of olive oil on its own (in absence of the Mediterranean diet) as possibly lowering heart disease risk. So, the big question around the hype: Is it actually good for cardiovascular health? Let’s dig in.
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