Natural Healing: Olive Oil Keeps Older Brains Healthy
Prevent cognitive decline; include olive oil in your diet.
By Herb Companion Staff
March/April 2000
Now there’s another reason to love olive oil—and to include it in your diet. A study from the May 1999 issue of Neurology shows that olive oil may be as good for your brain as it is for your heart.
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Researchers at the University of Bari in Italy found that 278 elderly people who consumed diets high in mono-unsaturated fat from olive oil were protected from cognitive decline due to aging. The clinical trial participants consumed an average of 46 g of oil (about 3 tablespoons) daily, and more than 17 percent of their daily calories came from monounsaturated fats, with 85 percent from olive oil.
The study concludes that the mono-unsaturated fats in olive oil help boost brain cell structure by satisfying the increased demand for unsaturated fatty acids that accompanies aging.
Reference:
Solfrizzi, V., et al. “High monounsat-urated fatty acids intake protects against age-related cognitive decline.” Neurology May 12, 1999, 52(8): 1563–1569.