Olive oil is given multiple benefits and properties that make it a recommended product for health. A new finding related to neurodegenerative diseases has been added to this long list. According to Harvard University, taking half a tablespoon of olive oil a day reduces the risk of death from Alzheimer's and other senile dementias.
Research led by the American university has followed the medical evolution of 90,000 men and women for 30 years and has found that people who took at least that amount daily had a third lower risk of dying from any of these disorders.
"Our study reinforces dietary guidelines that recommend vegetable oils such as olive oil and suggests that these recommendations not only support heart health, but also potentially brain health," explains Anne-Julie Tessier, a researcher at the School of Public Health. T.H. Chan of Harvard.
This new scientific research is the first to look at the relationship between diet and dementia-related death. It shows, from observation over a long period of time, that eating this food, instead of animal fats such as butter or margarine, improves both heart and brain health.
Precisely, the project has also revealed that replacing a teaspoon of margarine or mayonnaise with the equivalent amount of olive oil per day leads to a 14% reduction in the risk of dying from dementia.
Important as this research was, Tessier noted that the relationship between oil and dementia mortality risk in this study was independent of the overall quality of the diet. This could suggest that this product has properties that are exceptionally beneficial for brain health.
The researcher cautioned that the study is observational and does not prove that olive oil is the cause of the reduced risk of fatal dementia. Additional studies, such as randomized controlled trials, would be needed to confirm the effects and determine the optimal amount of olive oil to consume in order to reap these benefits.
However, the study aligns with dietary recommendations and reinforces the evidence that the use of olive oil in place of other fats can help support a healthy diet.
