An Antioxidant-Rich Superfood You Should Eat Every Night to Boost Your Memory

Scientists from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) in Philadelphia (USA) have proven that extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), superfood rich in cell-protecting antioxidants and known for its many benefits to health and life. Weight loss, especially against aging and cardiovascular disease, preserves memory and protects the brain from Alzheimer’s disease. (If you are looking to lose weight, this information will interest you.).

In a new mouse study published in the journal Aging Cell, LKSOM scientists show that another group of diseases associated with aging can be added to this list: tauopathies, which are characterized by the gradual accumulation of an abnormal form of a protein called tau. in the brain This process leads to decreased mental function or dementia. The results obtained are the first to suggest that EVOO may protect against a specific type of mental decline associated with tauopathy known as frontotemporal dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease is itself a form of dementia. It mainly affects the hippocampus, the memory storage center of the brain. Frontotemporal dementia affects areas of the brain near the forehead and ears. Symptoms usually begin between ages 40 and 65 and include changes in personality and behavior, difficulty speaking and writing, and possible decline in memory and the ability to learn from previous experiences.

Principal Investigator Domenico Pratico Scott Richards, president of the North Star Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, professor in the departments of pharmacology and microbiology, and director of the Temple Alzheimer’s Center at LKSOM, describes the new work as another part of the story about EVOO’s ability to prevent cognitive decline and protect the places where neurons come together to exchange information, known as synapses.

“EVOO has been a part of the human diet for a long time and has many health benefits for reasons we still don’t fully understand. -admits-. “Realizing that EVOO can protect the brain against various forms of dementia gives us the opportunity to learn more about the mechanisms by which it supports brain health.”

In previous work using a mouse model in which the animals were destined to develop Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Pratico’s team demonstrated that dietary EVOO protected young mice from memory and learning impairments as they age. In particular, when The researchers examined brain tissue from mice fed EVOO and did not see typical signs of cognitive decline.

especially amyloid plaques, “sticky” proteins that span the communication pathways between neurons in the brain. In contrast, the animals’ brains appeared normal.

The team’s new research shows that the same is true for mice that develop tauopathy. In these mice, normal tau protein becomes defective and accumulates in the brain, forming harmful deposits of tau, also called tangles. Tau deposits, similar to amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, They block neural communication and therefore impair thinking and memory, causing frontotemporal dementia.

Tau mice were put on an EVOO-supplemented diet at a young age, comparable to about 30 or 40 years in humans. Six months later, when the mice were equivalent to 60 years in humans, prone to tauopathy They experienced a 60 percent reduction in harmful tau deposits compared to littermates who were not fed EVOO. Animals on the EVOO diet also performed better in tests of memory and learning than animals deprived of EVOO.

When Dr. Pratico and his colleagues examined brain tissue from mice fed EVOO, they found that improved brain function was likely facilitated by healthier synapse functioning, which in turn was associated with higher than normal levels of the protein. known as complexin. 1. Complexin-1 is known to play fundamental role in maintaining healthy synapses.

The research team now plans to study what happens when EVOO is fed to older animals that have begun to develop tau deposits and signs of cognitive decline, which more closely mirrors the clinical scenario in humans. “We are particularly interested in whether EVOO can reverse tau damage and ultimately cure tauopathy in aged mice,” concludes Dr. Pratico.