01 August 2023 , 11:09
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A staple ingredient in a Mediterranean diet has been found to have a “promising effect” on Alzheimer’s disease to help its treatment and prevention, a new study has found.
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia in the UK which causes the decline of brain functioning. It can affect memory, thinking skills and other mental abilities.
Research is ongoing into the causes of the disease which is not yet fully understood although there are factors that are known to increase or decrease the chances of suffering from it.
And a latest study has shown the potential of extra virgin olive oil in tackling Alzheimer’s. Using artificial intelligence it has been possible to identify specific compounds in the oil which appeared to have an impact on the disease.
There were 10 phytochemicals in the oil, which is used widely in Mediterranean dishes, that have the “highest likelihood” of having "promising effects" on the protein network of Alzheimer’s. The results were found using network machine learning and graph neural networks to see the interaction of complex pathways for people with Alzheimer’s.
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“It is well known that diet and lifestyle influence health. Machine learning is a novel, cost-effective way to evaluate the potential health benefits of individual EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) phytochemicals,” stated the study co-authored by Luis Rita at Temple University, Philadelphia. "The analyses identified several individual EVOO phytochemicals that have a high likelihood of interfering with AD, a few of which (eg. quercetin, genistein) have shown promising effects on AD pathogenesis.”
Meanwhile, a study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that people who had more than half a tablespoon of olive oil a day were 28% less likely to suffer a dementia related death compared to those who rarely or never had it. The research also showed that changing a teaspoon of margarine or mayonnaise for olive oil each day would see an 8% to 14% lower risk of dying from dementia.
“Our study reinforces dietary guidelines recommending vegetable oils such as olive oil and suggests that these recommendations not only support heart health but potentially brain health, as well,” Anne-Julie Tessier, a postdoctoral fellow at the Ivy League institution, said in a media release.
“Some antioxidant compounds in olive oil can cross the blood-brain barrier, potentially having a direct effect on the brain. It is also possible that olive oil has an indirect effect on brain health by benefiting cardiovascular health.”