The number of dementia diseases such as Alzheimer’s is increasing. This is not least related to our increasingly aging society, as age is considered the No. 1 risk factor for dementia. Around 1.8 million people in Germany currently suffer from the neurodegenerative disease.
According to a recent US study by Harvard University, published in the journal Jama Network Open, mortality from dementia has increased in recent years. However, it decreased in the case of cardiovascular diseases.
Diet affects cognitive health
Diet also plays a role, among other things. There has long been evidence that a Mediterranean diet with little meat, lots of fruit and vegetables, fish and vegetable oils, for example, has a protective effect on brain health.
Especially olive oil with its healthy and antioxidant ingredients like
monounsaturated fatty acids vitamin E polyphenols (secondary plant substances)
We know that it can prevent cardiovascular diseases and cognitive decline.
Study with over 92,000 participants over 28 years old
That’s why Harvard University researchers wanted to know more about how consuming olive oil affects mental health – and how it is related to dementia-related deaths. “Higher olive oil consumption was previously associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, but its association with dementia mortality was unknown,” explains Harvard researcher and lead author Anne-Julie Tessier to the US United Press International news agency.
To find out how olive oil affects mortality from dementia or the development of dementia, the researchers examined data from 92,383 adults from the “Nurses Health Study” cohort study, which lasted from 1990 to 2018. At the start of the study, the participants were on average 56 years old old. 4749 died due to dementia.
Olive oil consumption reduces dementia mortality by 28 percent
The study found that those who
at least seven grams of olive oil, i.e. about half a teaspoon per day
consumed, an order
28 percent lower risk
had to die due to dementia compared to the subjects who never or rarely consumed olive oil.
Diet overall had no influence on the effectiveness of olive oil consumption
“Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and contains compounds with antioxidant effects that may play a protective role for the brain,” Tessier continues.
The interesting thing about it: How the test subjects ate overall had no influence on the effectiveness of olive oil consumption. Therefore, the researchers concluded that higher consumption was associated with a lower risk of dementia-related mortality, regardless of diet quality.
For example, they also found that the test subjects who replaced five grams of margarine and mayonnaise with the same amount of olive oil per day already had one
8 to 14 percent lower risk
had to die of dementia.
Independent researcher: Olive oil has an anti-inflammatory effect – also in the brain
“It doesn’t surprise me that olive oil is associated with a lower risk of fatal dementia,” US nutrition researcher Anne Danahy told Medical News Today about the study, in which she was not involved.
“Olive oil is rich in vitamin E and polyphenols – antioxidants that protect cells and blood vessels, including those in the brain,” she further explains. The oil also has anti-inflammatory properties: “Inflammation can accelerate the aging of the brain (and body) and is considered a cause of dementia and cognitive decline.”
Since there are so many more studies proving the health benefits of olive oil, she offers the following tip: “I always recommend using olive oil for most dishes,” she says. “Butter has its place in certain recipes and applications, so it can easily be used as needed. But try to make olive oil your go-to oil for everything else.”
The twelve risk factors for the development of dementia
In addition to age, there are twelve other risk factors that promote dementia later in life:
Lack of exercise Head injuries Alcohol Fine dust pollution Low education Overweight High blood pressure Impaired hearing Smoking Diabetes Depression Lack of social contacts
The average lifespan for dementia such as Alzheimer’s is eight years
According to the German Alzheimer Society, the average lifespan with Alzheimer’s is eight years. People with advanced dementia are also fundamentally more susceptible to infectious diseases. Pneumonia, for example, is one of the most common causes of death. It often occurs because people with advanced dementia often choke, allowing food and liquid to enter the trachea and lungs, causing them to become inflamed. Urinary tract infections and broken bones are also common causes of death in people with dementia.