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If a few months ago we echoed a Harvard University research on six foods harmful to our brain, today we bring you another study from Harvard University that reveals that olive oil can cover the risk of dying from dementia. The multiple benefits of the Mediterranean diet, where olive oil is a major player, are well known. In this new finding, it was revealed that by consuming just one tablespoon of olive oil a day, the risk of dying from dementia can be reduced by 28%.
This research was presented a few days ago at Nutrition 2023 (Boston), where the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition was held. Anne-Julie Tessier, co-author of the research and a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, explained in a press release that her study “reinforces dietary guidelines that recommend vegetable oils such as olive oil and suggests that these recommendations not only promote heart health, but also potentially brain health”.
The study has spanned nearly three decades. During this period of time the researchers analyzed the diets of thousands of participants. One of the most revealing data was that, regardless of diet quality, eating more than half a tablespoon of olive oil per day was associated with a 28% lower risk of dying from dementia, compared to participants who never or rarely consumed olive oil.
Research still in its infancy
“Opting for olive oil, a natural product, instead of fats such as margarine and commercial mayonnaise is a safe choice and may reduce the risk of fatal dementia,” added Anne-Julie Tessier. Although this is still early research and many scientists are urging caution, the potential benefits of olive oil for brain health may be due to antioxidant compounds that can cross the blood-brain barrier, directly affecting the brain, and that this food “may have an indirect effect on brain health by benefiting cardiovascular health,” Tessier added.
One of those who is cautious about these early results is Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian and senior lecturer at Aston University Medical School (England). “It is important to note that this is not a causal relationship, as the authors point out, but only an association. Further research is needed.”
Likewise, David Curtis, honorary professor at the UCL Institute of Genetics at University College London, emphasized the fact that it had been presented at an event and not yet definitively. He did, however, qualify that it has been shown that “olive oil consumption is associated with better cardiovascular health, so one would expect that it would also be associated with a lower risk of dementia”.
Be that as it may, all research seems to show very beneficial effects for our health when consuming olive oil.
