Extra virgin olive oil protects against Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study from Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
The Mayo Clinic explains the details of Alzheimer’s disease:
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia — a group of brain disorders that cause the loss of intellectual and social skills. In Alzheimer’s disease, the brain cells degenerate and die, causing a steady decline in memory and mental function.
The new research shows that consumption of olive oil protects memory and reduces the formation of amyloid-beta plaques, which are known as a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s.
The team explained how olive oil affects Alzheimer’s risk:
“We found that olive oil reduces brain inflammation but most importantly activates a process known as autophagy,” explained senior investigator Domenico Praticò, MD, Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Microbiology and the Center for Translational Medicine at LKSOM.
Autophagy is a process where cells get rid of toxins like amyloid beta plaques.
“Brain cells from mice fed diets enriched with extra-virgin olive oil had higher levels of autophagy and reduced levels of amyloid plaques and phosphorylated tau,” Dr. Praticò said.
Phosphorylated tau is another substance known for being an Alzheimer’s risk factor.
U.S. Alzheimer’s death rates have risen by 54 percent, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for 3.6 percent of all deaths in 2014.
The study showing that extra virgin olive oil protects against Alzheimer’s disease was published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Preserves Memory and Protects Brain Against Alzheimer’s Disease, New Research at Temple Shows.” Temple University Health System. Temple University, n.d. Web. 25 June 2017.
2. “Extra‐virgin Olive Oil Ameliorates Cognition and Neuropathology of the 3xTg Mice: Role of Autophagy.” Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. Wiley, 21 June 2017. Web. 25 June 2017.
