Oil for Brain Health?
We are inundated with daily advice about ‘diets’ and ‘superfoods’ to improve our health. One dietary regime that has stood the test of time – and importantly, scientific scrutiny – is the Mediterranean diet. Once a year, various diets are scored by a panel of nationally recognized experts in diet and nutrition. Earlier this year, U.S. News and World Report named the Mediterranean diet as the best diet of 2020 for the third year in a row. In second place was another consistent high performer in the rankings, the DASH diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension), which lowered blood pressure.
The common thread between the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet is olive oil. Olive oil has been an essential part of Mediterranean cuisine for 5,000 years. Homer, the famed Greek poet, called it “liquid gold.” The ancient Greeks so valued olive oil that cutting down an olive tree was a crime punishable by death! Traditionally, whole olives are crushed into a paste, which is then pressed to extract the oil. The method of extracting oil from olives has not changed much in thousands of years, except the tools are now stainless steel instead of stone. Olive Oil, particularly the extra virgin kind (EVOO), made from pure cold-pressed olives, contains many antioxidants and has significant anti-inflammatory properties. These are the two most important properties of healthy foods.
EVOO is a superfood rich in cell-protecting antioxidants, known for its multiple health benefits, including helping put the brakes on diseases linked to aging, most notably cardiovascular disease. Boosting brain function is key to staving off the effects of aging. And if there was one thing every person should consider doing right now to keep their brain young, add EVOO to their diet, according to research by scientists at Temple University. Their study appeared in the journal Aging Cell. It addressed another aging-related disease, tauopathies characterized by the gradual buildup of an abnormal form of a protein called tau in the brain, leading to a decline in mental function and, eventually, dementia. Their findings are the first to suggest that EVOO can defend against a specific type of cognitive decline linked to tauopathy known as frontotemporal dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is itself one form of dementia that primarily affects the hippocampus, the brain’s memory storage center. Frontotemporal dementia affects the areas of the brain near the forehead and ears. Symptoms typically emerge between ages 40 and 65 and include changes in personality and behavior, difficulties with language and writing, and eventual deterioration of memory and ability to learn from prior experience. Their previous research on mice also showed that EVOO preserves memory and protects the brain against Alzheimer’s disease. This adds another piece of the puzzle in the story about EVOO’s ability to ward off cognitive decline and to protect the junctions (synapses) where neurons come together to exchange information.
In a study published in 2018, Spanish scientists demonstrated potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of olive oil. Administering olive oil to animals significantly reduced the number of harmful chemicals that can cause tissue injury and aging, particularly within the brain. Olive oil administration also increased the enzymes that protected against oxidative damage in the brain and reduced the harmful actions the lipopolysaccharide releases by bacteria in the gut, reducing inflammation in the brain. The gut microbiome (the genetic material of all the microbes - bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses - that live on and inside the human body) changes drive the brain inflammation. This is the likely scenario: an imbalance in the gut bacteria leads to inflammation, chemical debris released from the bacteria migrate out of the gut into the blood and then into the brain. The most harmful of this bacterial debris is called lipopolysaccharide, and it can induce a robust inflammatory response inside the brain. Olive oil modifies how your gut microbiome communicates with your brain.
Olive oil’s beneficial effects on the human brain and body are likely related to the polyphenols’ hydroxytyrosol (HT) and Oleic acid (OA) presence. HT protects cells that are under oxidative stress. OA is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid that is generally higher in olive oil than vegetable fats. It has beneficial effects on blood cholesterol levels.
Bottom-line
EVOO has been a part of the human diet for a very long time and has many benefits for health, for reasons that we do not yet fully understand. The realization that EVOO can protect the brain against different forms of dementia allows us to learn more about the mechanisms through which it acts to support brain health. Brain benefits a lot from adding olive oil to your diet, and these benefits originate in response to the changes that olive oil makes to your gut microbiome. Olive oil should become a big part of the diet for anyone with an aging brain.
Reference:
https://bit.ly/3lCpy50
Published 11/20/2020
Dr. Amar Singh, MD, and Dr. Poonam Singh, MD, are board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Obesity Medicine. They specialize in preventing, treating, and reversing chronic diseases using an evidence-based holistic approach. They are specifically interested in weight management, hormone re-balancing, and longevity. The American College of Physicians has recognized them as Fellows, FACP, for their excellence and contributions made to both medicine and the broader community. They enjoy teaching, volunteering, and advocating for their patients. Their mission is to share simple, effective, and proven strategies that lead to meaningful, sustainable, and long-lasting well-being.
