Consuming olive oil could help reduce the risk of dying from dementia, regardless of overall diet quality, a new study of U.S. adults suggests.
Results of the study, conducted at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, were published Monday in JAMA Network Open.
Most earlier studies on olive oil intake and cognition occurred in Mediterranean countries, so measuring its effects on the U.S. population, where consumption tends to be lower, could shed unique light on this healthy source of fat, the researchers wrote.
"Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and contains compounds with antioxidant activity that may play a protective role for the brain," the study's lead author, Anne-Julie Tessier, a registered dietitian and research associate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told UPI via email.
