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Extra-virgin olive oil is proved to fight against Alzheimer according to a study published on the 21st of June in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. Researchers indicate that, the Mediterranean diet, which mostly relies on extra-virgin oil, helps protecting the brain against cognitive decline and enhances the ability of the memory.
Domenico Praticò, MD, Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Microbiology and the Center for Translational Medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University told ScienceDaily that : «We found that olive oil reduces brain inflammation but most importantly activates a process known as autophagy». He explained that the latter is the natural, regulated, destructive mechanism of the cell that disassembles unnecessary or dysfunctional components.
A diet that fights against Alzheimer
The survey conducted by Dr Praticò, indicates that the Mediterranean life style that is based on natural and organic food including extra-virgin olive oil results in a lower incidence of dementia, a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. «The thinking is that extra-virgin olive oil is better than fruits and vegetables alone, and as a monounsaturated vegetable fat it is healthier than saturated animal fats», Dr Pratico indicated.
Finding out the astonishing benefits of extra-virgin olive oil, researches led by Dr Praticó «used a well-established Alzheimer's disease mouse model». Dividing a group of mice into two little groups, researchers gave some of them a diet that is rich with extra-virgin olive oil while introduced the rest to a basic diet that does not include olive oil. The result was surprising as the group of mice fed extra-virgin olive oil «performed significantly better on tests designed to evaluate working memory, spatial memory, and learning abilities».
«This is a very important discovery, since we suspect that a reduction in autophagy marks the beginning of Alzheimer's disease», stated Dr Praticó. The study works at helping doctors «to know whether olive oil added at a later time point in the diet can stop or reverse the disease».
