I Do Not Like Mondays

Lead photo by Pixabay, Pexels

In an extensive study of more than 92,000 U.S. adults, consuming about a teaspoon and a half or more of olive oil a day correlated to significantly less chance of dementia-related death. The study followed participants for 28 years, nearly three decades.

Two-thirds, 66%, of the study participants were women, and the median age of participants was 56.4 years. Over the course of the study, 4,751 dementia-related deaths occurred. But consuming at least 7 g of olive oil per day — as opposed to consuming little or none — was associated with 28% less dementia-related deaths (interestingly, the same number of years the study was conducted). The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

For reference, a teaspoon is 5 g or 5 mL of liquid, so the amount of olive oil cited in the study equates to 1.4 tsp or more per day.

The study points to the potential benefits of the Mediterranean diet, a staple of which is olive oil. “As part of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil may exert anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects due to its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and other compounds with antioxidant properties such as vitamin E and polyphenols,” the study authors note.

“We’ve seen a decline in heart disease and stroke over the past 20 years, but mortality from dementia-related diseases has been increasing,” stated board-certified internist Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. in a release. “The Mediterranean Diet has long been lauded for protecting against cardiovascular disease, and now its key ingredient, olive oil, has been found to be a viable agent for preventing death linked to dementia.”

What’s more, the consumption of olive oil seems to have had its effect regardless of the rest of the particular study participant’s diet.

“In U.S. adults, higher olive oil intake was associated with a lower risk of dementia-related mortality, irrespective of diet quality,” the study concludes. “Beyond heart health, the findings extend the current dietary recommendations of choosing olive oil and other vegetable oils for cognitive-related health.”

Fully a third of older adults die with Alzheimer’s disease or other form of dementia, the study notes. This most recent study points out that other examinations have been done on olive oil consumption among global populations, but since U.S. consumption of olive oil is “generally lower” comparatively, this study of U.S. adults may be particularly relevant.