Olive oil has long been touted as a 'superfood' that can help you live longer when consumed as part of a healthy diet. Now a new study suggests that olive oil may help reduce the risk of dying from dementia.
The study, conducted by researchers at Harvard, comes at a time when many countries are facing an increase in Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
According to researchers, using olive oil instead of commercial fats such as margarine and mayonnaise may reduce the risk of dying from dementia.
Dementia includes a variety of conditions that affect memory and other mental abilities enough to affect daily life. The conditions are caused by physical changes in the brain, with Alzheimer's disease being the most common type.
In the first study to investigate the relationship between diet and dementia-related death, scientists analyzed dietary questionnaires and death records of more than 90,000 US citizens over three decades.
They found that those who consumed more than half a tablespoon of olive oil each day had a 28 percent lower risk of dying from dementia compared to those who never or rarely ate olive oil.
