Olive Oil and Dementia: The Power of 7 Grams

Eating just 7 grams of extra virgin olive oil per day is enough to reduce the risk of dying from dementia by 28 percent. What is the link between olive oil and dementia?

The health benefits of olive oil are now widely known, from improving heart health to fighting inflammation. But did you know that olive oil can also play a role in reducing the risk of dementia? More and more scientific research points to the protective effects of olive oil on the brain. In this blog, we delve deeper into the ways olive oil can contribute to a healthy brain and reduce the risk of dementia.

Dementia is a debilitating, disastrous, and very sad disease affecting 55 million people worldwide, with at least as many direct relatives having to watch helplessly. It is number seven on the list of diseases from which most elderly people die.

Unfortunately, things are not expected to get much better in the future. The number of people with dementia is expected to triple by 2050. This means that we all run a higher risk of developing dementia in later life.

Sadly, there is no cure yet. If only there was something you could do to reduce the risk of this awful disease!

Good news! The results of a long-term study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health were recently announced. The study (which you can read here) followed 92,383 participants for 28 years. During this period, 37,649 deaths were recorded, of which 4,751 were linked to a diagnosis of dementia.

Participants who consumed at least 7 grams of olive oil per day had a significantly lower risk of dying from dementia compared to participants who consumed less than 0.5 grams per day.

How much olive oil do we eat on average in the Netherlands? Converted per Dutch person, about 1 liter per year is consumed. That amounts to 2.74 grams per day. Even if we ate that every day - which we don't - and it was premium quality extra virgin olive oil - which it isn't - it still wouldn't be enough. To stay out of care in later life, we need to eat more extra virgin olive oil now, every day.

Mediterranean or Dutch diet

Reducing your risk of dementia by 28% by simply eating a teaspoon of olive oil every day is, of course, fantastic. But this study also shows something else important: it states "regardless of diet quality." Interestingly, the link between olive oil and dementia was established independently of dietary choice. Whether participants followed a healthy diet or not, the positive effect of olive oil persisted.

Besides extra virgin olive oil, there's no need to follow a special diet. So, extra virgin olive oil also helps everyone who follows the Dutch diet with mainly potatoes, vegetables, and meat, and an occasional visit to the snack bar, the Chinese, and the Thai restaurant.

A teaspoon a day, how do you do that? For example, by drizzling a splash of extra virgin olive oil over your potatoes, vegetables, or meat. You can also fry your potatoes, meat, or fish nicely in extra virgin olive oil (click here for more on frying in olive oil), or make your gravy with it. You can make mayonnaise with olive oil, you can also put a dash in your yogurt or over your vanilla ice cream. Or you can slurp your extra virgin olive oil pure, straight from a spoon. Incorporating olive oil into your diet is simple, delicious, and, it turns out, potentially life-saving in the long run. Here are a few more tips:

• Use olive oil as a base for salad dressings: Mix extra virgin olive oil with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar for a delicious and healthy dressing.
• Bake and roast with olive oil: Use olive oil to bake or roast vegetables for a rich flavor and extra nutrients. There is a study (click here) that shows that frying vegetables in olive oil is healthier than boiling them. The olive oil locks all the nutrients into the vegetables, whereas when you boil, you cook out most of the nutrients and discard them when draining.
• Drizzle olive oil over dishes: Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil to soups, pasta, or even bread for extra flavor and health benefits.
• Make dips and spreads: Use olive oil as a base for hummus or other healthy dips.

So it doesn't matter what else you eat, if you just use at least a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil every day, you reduce your risk of dementia. According to the study, even small dietary changes had significant effects. For example, the study shows that you reduce your risk of dementia by 14 percent if you replace 5 grams of mayonnaise per day with 5 grams of olive oil, and replacing five grams of margarine with olive oil reduces the risk by eight percent. So small steps are also important. But individuals who, according to the study, followed a Mediterranean diet had the lowest risk of dementia.

Several previous studies support the results of this new research. A Spanish study from 2015 already showed that a Mediterranean diet with a higher consumption of olive oil could significantly reduce the risk of dementia in elderly people followed for 6.5 years. In addition, the World Health Organization already advised seniors in 2019 to follow a Mediterranean diet to maintain their cognitive abilities.

How Olive Oil Can Reduce the Risk of Dementia

But why is premium quality extra virgin olive oil so healthy and why does it help reduce the risk of dementia?

1. Rich in Antioxidants

Extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants such as vitamin E and polyphenols. These substances help reduce oxidative stress in the body, which is crucial for maintaining healthy brain cells. Oxidative stress is linked to neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia. By providing antioxidants, olive oil helps protect the brain from damage by free radicals.

2. Anti-inflammatory Properties

Chronic inflammation plays a major role in the development of many diseases, including dementia. Olive oil contains oleocanthal, a substance that has similar anti-inflammatory effects to ibuprofen. Regular consumption of olive oil can help reduce inflammation in the brain, contributing to the preservation of cognitive functions and reducing the risk of dementia. Can you also take ibuprofen every day? Although ibuprofen shows a positive result regarding inflammation, regular use of ibuprofen has a negative effect on your stomach and liver.

3. Improved Blood Flow to the Brain

Good blood flow is essential for brain health. Extra virgin olive oil helps keep blood vessels healthy by reducing plaque buildup and promoting blood vessel elasticity. This ensures better blood flow to the brain, which is important for maintaining cognitive functions and preventing diseases such as dementia.

4. Strengthening the Brain

Studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in olive oil, is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia. This diet not only promotes heart health but also supports brain function. Researchers have found that people who adhere to a Mediterranean diet maintain better memory and cognitive functions as they age.

5. Protection Against Alzheimer's

Olive oil can specifically help protect against Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia. Research has shown that olive oil can reduce the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, both characteristic of Alzheimer's. These protective effects are mainly attributed to the polyphenols in olive oil, which help clear toxic proteins in the brain.

6. Improvement of Synaptic Function

A well-functioning brain requires healthy synapses, the connections between nerve cells. Olive oil supports synaptic function by improving cellular communication and promoting neuroplasticity. This helps the brain remain flexible and resilient, which is essential for maintaining memory and learning ability, and for reducing the risk of dementia.

Conclusion

Extra virgin olive oil offers an almost unimaginable range of health benefits. With its antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and positive effects on blood flow and synaptic function, premium extra virgin olive oil can help protect the brain from damage and reduce the risk of dementia. By regularly incorporating olive oil into your diet, you can not only enjoy delicious meals but also contribute to a healthier, cognitively sharper future. Premium extra virgin olive oil belongs in your kitchen, on your table, and in your medicine cabinet.

20 grams

If you're already adding a little extra virgin olive oil to your daily diet, consider if you can add a bit more. Research shows that 20 grams of premium extra virgin olive oil helps protect you against oxidation (scavenging free radicals), and this is an important factor in reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (-19%), diabetes (up to -50%), cancer (-17%), and neurodegenerative diseases like dementia (-28%).

But it must be premium extra virgin olive oil. Can you buy that in the supermarket? No, with a few exceptions. More about this in our blog about olive oil in the supermarket. Almost everything in the supermarket is fake or industrially highly processed food, including olive oil. That is then refined olive oil. This is often the "mild," "light," or for example, the "Classico" olive oil (more about this in this blog). Or the olive oil is a mixture of different types of oils with very low levels of polyphenols and other antioxidants. That olive oil does nothing for your health and can even be harmful.

The Olive Label.shop buys all premium extra virgin olive oil directly from the olive farmer. We do not buy from wholesalers. Whichever extra virgin olive oil you buy from The Olive Label, you can be absolutely sure that you are buying genuine, premium extra virgin olive oil.