05.15.24
Higher olive oil intake among U.S. adults, particularly women, was associated with a lower risk of dementia-related mortality, regardless of diet quality, according to research published in JAMA Network Open.
Beyond heart health, the findings extend the current dietary recommendations of choosing olive oil and other vegetable oils for cognitive-related health, researchers concluded.
Most previous studies on olive oil consumption and cognition have been conducted in Mediterranean countries, so researchers were interested in studying a U.S. population, which typically consumes less olive oil.
Researchers examined the association between total olive oil consumption and the subsequent risk of dementia-related mortality in 2 large prospective studies of U.S. women and men: the Nurses’ Health Study I (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS).
Participants were categorized by olive oil intake frequency: never or less than once per month (reference group), greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4.5 g/d, greater than 4.5 g/d to less than or equal to 7 g/d, and greater than 7 g/d.
Results showed olive oil intake was inversely associated with dementia-related mortality in age-stratified and multivariable-adjusted models.
Specifically, participants who consumed more than 7 g/d of olive oil had 28% lower risk of dying from dementia compared with participants who never or rarely consumed olive oil.
This association remained significant after adjustment for diet quality scores including adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Researchers estimated that substituting 5 g/d of margarine and mayonnaise with olive oil was associated with significantly lower dementia-related death risk, but not when substituting butter and other vegetable oils.
“These findings provide evidence to support dietary recommendations advocating for the use of olive oil and other vegetable oils as a potential strategy to maintain overall health and prevent dementia,” researchers wrote.
Beyond heart health, the findings extend the current dietary recommendations of choosing olive oil and other vegetable oils for cognitive-related health, researchers concluded.
Most previous studies on olive oil consumption and cognition have been conducted in Mediterranean countries, so researchers were interested in studying a U.S. population, which typically consumes less olive oil.
Researchers examined the association between total olive oil consumption and the subsequent risk of dementia-related mortality in 2 large prospective studies of U.S. women and men: the Nurses’ Health Study I (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS).
Participants were categorized by olive oil intake frequency: never or less than once per month (reference group), greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4.5 g/d, greater than 4.5 g/d to less than or equal to 7 g/d, and greater than 7 g/d.
Results showed olive oil intake was inversely associated with dementia-related mortality in age-stratified and multivariable-adjusted models.
Specifically, participants who consumed more than 7 g/d of olive oil had 28% lower risk of dying from dementia compared with participants who never or rarely consumed olive oil.
This association remained significant after adjustment for diet quality scores including adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Researchers estimated that substituting 5 g/d of margarine and mayonnaise with olive oil was associated with significantly lower dementia-related death risk, but not when substituting butter and other vegetable oils.
“These findings provide evidence to support dietary recommendations advocating for the use of olive oil and other vegetable oils as a potential strategy to maintain overall health and prevent dementia,” researchers wrote.
