How incorporating olive oil into a regular diet could lower risk of dementia mortality, says new study

Who would have thought that there’s a link between olive oil and dementia?

A new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that using olive oil in your daily meals could lower your chances of dying from dementia.

The study, led by Anne-Julie Tessier, a researcher in the Department of Nutrition, was published on May 6 in JAMA Network Open.

“Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and contains compounds with antioxidant activity that may play a protective role for the brain,” Tessier said.

Before this study, the connection between olive oil and dementia deaths was unclear.

So, Tessier and her team examined the diets and health of 92,383 American adults over 28 years in two long-term studies.

Participants reported their olive oil intake every four years. The researchers categorized them into groups based on how much olive oil they consumed.

Ultimately, 4,571 people died from dementia during the study.

The study found that people who consumed at least 7 grams of olive oil daily had a 28% lower risk of dying from dementia compared to those who rarely or never consumed olive oil, regardless of their genetics or overall diet quality.

Tessier explained to UPI that they made the analysis thorough by repeatedly measuring diet and considering factors like age, income, and lifestyle.

They found that the link between olive oil and dementia-related deaths persisted, suggesting a specific benefit from olive oil itself, even though people who use it generally have healthier diets.

Meanwhile, the American Heart Association says virgin olive oil can help clear cholesterol from arteries and keep them open.

The study found that replacing 5 grams of margarine or mayonnaise daily with olive oil reduced the risk of dementia-related death by 8% and 14%, respectively, while other vegetable oils did not have the same benefit.

Maya Feller, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, explained on Good Morning America that not all olive oil is the same.

She advised opting for extra virgin olive oil, which is made from cold-pressed olives, and ensuring it’s 100% olive oil to get the benefits of polyphenols and unsaturated fatty acids.

“Look for opaque products that are stored away from light or heat in the store, because it helps it not to go rancid,” Feller stated. “You also want to make sure it is a single source.”

The study’s participants didn’t start with heart disease, so the results may not apply to those at the highest risk of dementia and related death.

Since it was observational, it doesn’t directly prove cause and effect, and the diet information might not be entirely reliable.

Feller suggested using olive oil instead of butter in breakfast items like pancakes or muffins, emphasizing its versatility.

Dr. Amal Khalil Kaddoumi from Auburn University studied how olive oil impacts Alzheimer’s markers in her 2022 research.

Although her study didn’t focus on fatal dementia, she and her team found that olive oil could protect the brain, enhance memory, and reduce Alzheimer’s markers.

They suspect that oleic acid in olive oil could be responsible for these effects.

“EVOO [extra-virgin olive oil] enhanced the blood-brain barrier function and functional connectivity between different brain areas in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which could emphasize EVOO-phenolics’ effect,” Dr. Kaddoumi told Medical News Today.

Refined olive oil, known as ROO, improved brain activity for memory-related tasks.

The study showed that olive oil was more beneficial for the brain compared to margarine and mayonnaise.

Dr. Tessier suggested that the variation in fatal dementia rates in her study could be because “until recently, commercial mayonnaise and margarine could contain artificial trans fats.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports over 55 million people worldwide have dementia.

Around 10 million new cases arise annually, and dementia stands as the seventh leading cause of death among older adults.

Below is a quick news about how olive oil affects dementia:

Disclaimer: This article is for informational or entertainment purposes only. This is not a diagnosis or recommendation. Readers should consult professionals for personalized advice, and the author/publisher is not liable for actions taken based on the content.