How extra virgin olive oil may help prevent dementia, and its other health benefits

Extra virgin olive oil helps clear toxic proteins that are markers of Alzheimer’s disease, study suggests, and has anti-inflammatory effects

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Extra virgin olive oil is a key component of both the Mediterranean and Mind diets, and research shows that it may help prevent dementia.
Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 6:15pm, 24 Jun 2024

This is the 39th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope.

You might have heard of the Mediterranean diet and the Mind (Mediterranean-Dash Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet. Both are good for our brains, with plenty of scientific evidence to back this up.

The Alzheimer’s Society in the UK reported that sticking to a Mediterranean diet could reduce a person’s dementia risk by up to 23 per cent, while research published earlier this year found that both diets could help to preserve some cognitive abilities in midlife, particularly elements of memory.

The Mediterranean diet is based on the eating habits of people in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including Italy, Spain and Greece. Two of the world’s five blue zones – areas where people live, and live well, to over 100 years old – are in this region: Sardinia in Italy and Ikaria in Greece.

Olive oil needs to have been cold-pressed from the fruit to be “certified” extra virgin. Photo: Shutterstock

The Mediterranean diet was ranked the best diet for health in the US News & World Report’s Best Diets 2024 list.

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