What staple of the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of dementia?

Does olive oil really benefit your health? Or is it just a sign of healthy eating?

A study published in JAMA Network Open on Monday reignites the debate. In an observational study conducted by researchers from the Harvard T.H. T.Ch. Chan, two groups of American healthcare workers were examined and found that daily olive oil consumption was associated with a lower risk of death from dementia.

• The study showed that consumption of at least Eating half a tablespoon of olive oil every day was associated with a 28 percent lower risk of death from dementia.compared to those who never or rarely consumed olive oil.

• Participants who reported higher olive oil consumption had a lower risk of death from dementia, regardless of the quality of their diet or diet. Mediterranean dietwhich consists of plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and moderate amounts of fish and poultry.
• The researchers found that replacing about a teaspoon of margarine and mayonnaise with an equivalent amount of olive oil was associated with an 8 to 14 percent lower risk of death from dementia.
• The study involved two groups of more than 92,000 American health care workers, men and women, over 28 years of age. About 65 percent of the participants were women. And 4,751 participants died from dementia during the study period.

He use of olive oil According to one study, it is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Butter is an integral part of the Mediterranean diet. A study published in 2014 found that extra virgin olive oil is associated with lower cardiovascular risk in older people.

A 2022 study of the same two cohorts in a study published Monday found that higher olive oil consumption was associated with about a 19 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared to never or rarely consumers olive oil.

And olive oil, when used in a Mediterranean diet, “appears to have a beneficial effect on cognitive decline,” he said. Martha Guasch-FerreAssociate Professor, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health. T.Ch. Chana and co-author of both two-arm studies.

A randomized clinical trial conducted in 2015 in Barcelona found that a Mediterranean diet with olive oil “may counteract age-related cognitive decline” in older adults.

“Olive oil is rich monounsaturated fats and contains compounds with activity antioxidant which may play a protective role for brain” Guasch-Ferre said in an email.

Olive oil “may directly benefit the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier” and may indirectly support the brain by having a positive effect on a person’s heart health, he said. Anne-Julie Tessier, an associate nutrition researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan. The School of Public Health and the study’s lead author released the results on Monday.

More than 92,000 participants The two study cohorts were asked how often they consumed a different food every four years for 28 years, starting in 1990. Respondents recorded how often they used olive oil in salad dressings, in food or bread, and in baked goods or fried foods at home.

The doctor checked death certificates participants who died during the study period to determine whether dementia was the cause of death, Tessier said. 4,751 participants were found to have died from dementia.

An observational study found association between olive oil consumption and a comparatively lower risk of death from dementia. The researchers did not find a cause-and-effect relationship.

Guasch-Ferre said in an email that “intervention studies are needed to confirm cause-and-effect relationships and the optimal amount of olive oil consumption.” Future research could try to identify the “mechanisms” by which olive oil consumption is associated with a lower risk of death from dementia, he said.

The study also looked at daily allowance among health care workers, meaning the results may not be generalizable to a broader, more diverse population.

And the researchers say they couldn’t distinguish between the use of different olive oil varietiessuch as Virgin or Extra Virgin, which contain “great bioactive and antioxidant compounds,” Guasch-Ferre said.

David Knopmanprofessor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said the observational study was a “very good” study, but those who consumed more olive oil may simply be “more health-conscious than their peers.”

“This limitation is one of the really big challenges in interpreting nutrition data,” Knopman said. The results are consistent with “our preconceived notions about Healthy diet“, he argued. But there are a number of lifestyle factors that influence cardiovascular health and, in turn, cognitive healthincluding exercise, diet, sleep and if someone smokes. According to him, these factors tend to correlate with each other.

“The only way to establish cause and effect of a treatment intervention is through a randomized trial,” Knopman said. But he said he is “really skeptical” that one nutrient is the key to better health.

“Suddenly switching from steak, mashed potatoes and butter to bean sprouts and broccoli probably won’t have a huge effect unless you lose a lot of weight if you have overweight“, said.

Vasilis Vasiliou, The professor and chair of the department of environmental health at the Yale School of Public Health said the Harvard study was “done very carefully” and that broader efforts are underway to try to “find the mechanism” that explains why olive oil and other parts of the plant may be beneficial for cardiovascular or cognitive health.

“We don’t think it’s one or two compounds. Olive oil has antioxidants phenolic resins, which are very important for protection against oxidative stress– said Vasiliu. “But there are a lot of other things going on there.”

Guasch-Ferre said that “choose olive oil” instead of processed fats such as margarine and mayonnaise, “is a safe option and may reduce the risk of fatal dementia.”

Choose vegetable oilsespecially olive oil or extra virgin olive oil if you can afford it, Tessier advised.

“Extra virgin olive oil actually contains more polyphenols” said. “These are compounds that may be beneficial for brain health compared to more processed fats.”

Vasiliu said he drinks two tablespoons high polyphenol olive oil every morning, and also cook daily in olive oil.

“You’ll laugh, but sometimes I even put it on ice cream,” he said.

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