Experts: Daily consumption of olive oil reduces the risk of death from a disease for which there is no cure

A team of nutritionists and medical researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found evidence that daily consumption of olive oil may reduce the odds of developing dementia.

In their study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, the group analyzed data on thousands of people listed in two separate health databases. They found that those who consumed at least 7g of olive oil daily were less likely to die from dementia-related diseases.

Previous research has indicated that following a Mediterranean diet can lead to beneficial health outcomes for most people.

The diet tends to focus on eating legumes, vegetables, nuts, fish, dairy products, and olive oil.

In this new study, the research team found evidence that the heavy use of olive oil in such diets may be one of its most important beneficial factors.

To learn more about the potential health benefits of regular olive oil consumption, researchers studied patient data including more than 60,000 women included in the Nurses' Health Study and more than 31,000 men included in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

Both databases include historical information, following patients for up to 30 years. It also includes data related to the cause of death.

The researchers found that 4,751 of the 92,383 patients included in the two databases died of dementia-related causes. Comparing diet information, they found that those who consumed at least half a teaspoon of olive oil daily over the study years were 28 percent less likely to die from diseases associated with the development of dementia.

The research team also noted that many of the participants in the databases who consumed olive oil on a daily basis over many years did so by using it to replace butter, mayonnaise and other vegetable oils in cooking and sauces. Consequently, these people consumed smaller amounts of these other products, which may also have an impact on rates of dementia, for which scientists have not yet been able to develop treatments or even delay its symptoms.

The team revealed that following a Mediterranean diet, with a strong emphasis on olive oil, may reduce the risk of dementia by inhibiting inflammation caused by other factors.