Extra Virgin Olive Oil Could Reduce Alzheimer's Chances
A study published Wednesday said consuming extra-virgin olive oil could reduce the chances of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Published in the Annals of Clinical and Transnational Neurology, the study by Temple University researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine found mice to have better memories and learning abilities after being fed a diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil. The comparison was with other mice who were not on that diet.
Inner workings of the mice’s brains like neuron connections were better preserved after consuming virgin olive oil, according to USA Today.
"The thinking is that extra-virgin olive oil is better than fruits and vegetables alone," said senior investigator Domenico Pratico, a professor at the Lewis Klein School of Medicine. "As a monounsaturated vegetable fat, it is healthier than saturated animal fats."
Read: How Common Is Alzheimer's In The US?
The two groups of mice were tested in nine and 12 months, and despite not showing a difference in appearance, those on a virgin olive oil diet tested better on working and spatial memory along with learning abilities.
Researchers say the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease could be caused by a reduction in autophagy. The oil is believed to activate the autophagy process, allowing for the removal of debris and toxins as well as reduce inflammation in the brain.
"Thanks to the autophagy activation, memory, and synaptic integrity were preserved, and the pathological effects in animals otherwise destined to develop Alzheimer's disease were significantly reduced," Pratico said. "We want to know whether olive oil added at a later time point in the diet can stop or reverse the disease."
Alzheimer’s is believed to be the most common form of dementia in the United States, affecting thought, memory, and language of those suffering from the disease. With no available cure yet, it starts affecting people after the age of 60 with mild memory loss, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Last month, it was reported the United States had seen a 55 percent rise in the number of people dying from Alzheimer’s over a 15-year period. Data from the CDC also showed a 14-25 percent rise in the number of people dying at home from the neurodegenerative condition, also between 2009 and 2014.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, every 66 seconds, someone in the United States develops the disease. Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are expected to cost the country $259 billion and the figure is expected to rise to over $1 trillion by 2050.
Right now, over 5 million people in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s. By 2050, that number could go as far as 16 million. The disease is also believed to claim more lives than breast and prostate cancer.
While deaths from heart disease declined by 14 percent since 2000, the number of people dying due to Alzheimer’s at that time went up by an incredible 89 percent.
All in all, it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
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