The latest research on the benefits of olive oil finds that women who consume as little as a half tablespoon of olive oil each day have a significantly lower risk of dementia, reports Judy George for MedPage Today. Specifically, the large study reveals a reduction in dementia-related deaths for women who consume olive oil.
This study is the first of its kind. Additional findings include that people who ate a teaspoon of olive oil instead of margarine or mayonnaise had an eight to 14 percent lower chance of dementia mortality. If they substituted anything other than olive oil for margarine or mayonnaise, it had no meaningful effect on their likelihood of dementia mortality. Dementia is a disease that comes on and progresses slowly, so it can be hard to study.
This study further found that the lower risk of dementia-related death from consuming olive oil was not related to people having healthier diets overall. Olive oil, no matter your diet, appears to improve brain-related health.
Other studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet is good for your health, and olive oil consumption is part of that diet. Still others have shown no relation between diet and dementia.
Why is olive oil good for brain health? Some experts posit that its monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants, including Vitamin E and polyphenals, have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects on the brain. Consuming olive oil also improves vascular health and that may lower the risk of dementia-related death.
More than 90,000 health care professionals participated in this study, two-thirds of whom were women, reports JAMA Network.. Earlier studies had shown that consuming olive oil results in lower risk of heart disease.
The study lasted 28 years. By the end, 4,751 participants had suffered dementia-related deaths.
Note: Some margarine and mayonnaise are particularly bad for your health because they contain high levels of partially hydrogenated oils.
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