Replacing margarine with olive oil reduces deaths from dementia

Replacing margarine or mayonnaise with olive oil may reduce the risk of death from dementia. It is the discovery of an article published in the journal JAMA Network Open last Tuesday (7). This replacement was associated with an 8% to 14% lower risk of mortality.

Scientists analyzed data from more than 92,000 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS), and assessed olive oil intake every 4 years using a food frequency questionnaire.

The researchers also evaluated the relationship between diet quality and olive oil consumption with the risk of dementia-related death.

In total, there were 4,751 dementia-related deaths during the study’s 28-year follow-up period.

The researchers note that compared with no or rare olive oil intake, consumption of more than 7g of olive oil per day was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia-related mortality.

A curious point of the study is that each 5 g increase in olive oil consumption had an inverse association with dementia-related death in women, but this did not happen in men.

“Typically, people who use olive oil in cooking or as a seasoning have a better overall diet, but interestingly, we found that the association between more olive oil and reduced risk of dementia-related death is independent of this factor,” the team points out. .

Why olive oil?

Sure, it may seem specific and random, but this isn’t the first time we’ve seen olive oil consumption associated with a lower risk of death from dementia.

But then… why olive oil? The theory is that some antioxidant compounds in olive oil can cross the blood-brain barrier, potentially having a direct effect on the brain.

Another possibility: olive oil has an indirect effect on brain health and cardiovascular health. But it’s also fair to think that a higher olive oil intake could indicate a healthier diet.

Does this mean that olive oil is a cure for dementia? Absolutely not. The authors noted several limitations of the study.

The researchers indicate that people in the group with the highest olive oil consumption were also more physically active and less likely to smoke, which could influence the study results.

It’s worth remembering that dementia itself is not fatal, but the underlying conditions that cause it can be. For example, Alzheimer’s disease is progressive and eventually affects vital bodily functions, such as the ability to swallow and breathe. Additionally, dementia can increase the risk of other complications that can eventually lead to death.

In any case, the study was just a first step in awakening the possibility of this relationship between olive oil and the risk of death associated with dementia. Now researchers want to understand why, through future studies.

Source: JAMA Network Open

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