Health
Unlock Brain Health Secrets: Everyday Kitchen Staple Can Reduce Dementia Risk
In the quest to mitigate the rising prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, a new study published on May 6 in JAMA Network Open delivers some promising news. It reveals that the daily consumption of about half a tablespoon of olive oil may play a significant role in reducing dementia-related mortality. This study is among the pioneer research works to delve into the relationship between diet and death related to dementia.
The research tracked around 90,000 participants over nearly 30 years, discovering that a daily consumption of seven grams of olive oil was correlated with a decreased mortality risk from dementia. Additionally, replacing mayonnaise or margarine with olive oil appeared to present similar protective effects. These intriguing results were first unveiled on July 23 at NUTRITION 2023, a yearly gathering of the American Society of Nutrition, before being scrutinized and approved by peer review.
“In our study, we see that dietary guidelines recommending vegetable oils like olive oil not only buttress heart health but could also potentially prop up brain health,” proclaims Anne-Julie Tessier, RD, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and the presenting author of the study. “Opting for olive oil, a natural product, instead of fats such as margarine and commercial mayonnaise is a sensible choice which may lower fatal dementia risk.”
Dementia is an overarching term for a series of conditions characterized by a significant impairment in thinking and remembering abilities to the extent that it interferes with daily activities. The most prevalent type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which affects over 6 million Americans and is considered fatal due to its incurability.
The research participants, who were more than 90,000 Americans, were tracked by the study over three decades, with a majority of them being women. Starting from 1990, they provided dietary information every four years which facilitated researchers in understanding their general diet and the frequency of their olive oil consumption. It was found that 4,749 participants died from dementia during the study.
Notably, participants who consumed more than half of a tablespoon of olive oil each day had a 28% lower risk of dying from dementia than those who never or seldom consumed olive oil. Moreover, substituting about one teaspoon of mayonnaise or margarine a day with olive oil led to an 8-14% lower risk of fatal dementia, independent of the overall quality of the diet, as per the researchers.
The research also points out that those who died of dementia were more likely to have the APOe4 gene, which increases Alzheimer’s disease risk and triggers higher cholesterol production in the body. Even after adjusting for this gene, the results remained consistent.
While the research cannot definitively prove that olive oil reduces the risk of fatal dementia due to its observational nature, it does suggest that olive oil may contain beneficial properties for brain health, in addition to its established heart health benefits.
Tessier added, “Some antioxidant compounds in olive oil can cross the blood-brain barrier, potentially exerting a direct effect on the brain. Olive oil might also indirectly benefit brain health by improving cardiovascular health.”
The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans already advocate for the substitution of saturated fats with unsaturated fats like olive oil to decrease harmful LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and curb the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A 2021 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that the same amount of olive oil used in the new study was associated with a 14% lower risk of heart disease compared to no olive oil consumption. Additionally, olive oil has been demonstrated to reduce inflammation and cut down the risk of type 2 diabetes. It has also been associated with an 8–34% lower risk of death from all causes—including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and respiratory diseases—when it replaces other fats like mayonnaise, butter, and margarine.
Despite these promising findings, further research is required to confirm olive oil’s impact on brain health and dementia-related death and to potentially determine the optimal quantity of olive oil intake. However, this new research aligns with existing dietary recommendations and provides further evidence for favoring olive oil over less-healthy fats. It also holds out the possibility that adopting healthy eating habits, including the inclusion of olive oil, can help prevent or slow the progression of dementia.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
The health of your kidneys and liver, indispensable organs in your body, play a pivotal role in maintaining your overall wellness. They take on multiple indispensable tasks, predominantly executing the crucial function of waste filtration. Maintaining these organs in a healthy condition often involves a multifaceted approach, encompassing a nutritious diet, consistent physical activity, and moderated alcohol consumption. However, recent studies bring our attention to a surprising aspect that may potentially impact your kidneys and liver adversely: the frequency of your bowel movements.
In an intriguing research endeavor, analysts from the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) took on the mission to comprehend what the regularity of an individual’s bowel movements might indicate about their long-term health. The results, published recently in Cell Reports Medicine, are based on the detailed analysis of medical, lifestyle, and multi-omic data obtained from over 1,400 healthy adults.
Through a careful examination of this data, the researchers have identified four distinct categories of self-reported bowel movement frequencies: constipation (one to two bowel movements per week), low-normal (three to six bowel movements per week), high-normal (one to three bowel movements daily), and diarrhea.
Interestingly, the study highlights that the healthiest bowel movement frequency was observed in the high-normal group, i.e., individuals who reported bowel movements one to two times per day. These individuals exhibited a higher count of fiber-fermenting gut bacteria that is often linked to optimal health.
Johannes Johnson-Martinez, a PhD candidate at ISB and the primary author of the study, commented:
“Prior research has shown how bowel movement frequency can have a big impact on gut ecosystem function.”
He continued, “Specifically, if stool sticks around too long in the gut, microbes use up all of the available dietary fiber, which they ferment into beneficial short-chain fatty acids. After that, the ecosystem switches to fermentation of proteins, which produces several toxins that can make their way into the bloodstream.”
Contrastingly, constipation and diarrhea present on the extremes of the bowel movement frequency spectrum were associated with potential health threats. The study pointed out decreased kidney function in individuals who experienced less frequent bowel movements and fell under the ‘constipated’ category.
The research revealed that p-cresol-sulfate and indoxyl-sulfate, toxins produced by microbes due to protein fermentation and known to harm kidneys, were found to be predominant in the blood of constipated individuals.
“‘Here, in a generally healthy population, we show that constipation, in particular, is associated with blood levels of microbially derived toxins known to cause organ damage, prior to any disease diagnosis,” said Sean Gibbons, PhD, ISB associate professor and the paper’s corresponding author.
Conversely, the study discovered a correlation between diarrhea and “higher levels of inflammation and blood markers of reduced liver function,” as Gibbons reported to Today.
According to Gibbons, “Overall, this study shows how bowel movement frequency can influence all body systems, and how aberrant bowel movement frequency may be an important risk factor in the development of chronic diseases.” He went on to stress that these findings could help in formulating strategies to manage bowel movement frequency, optimizing health and wellness even amongst healthy populations.
For those looking to improve their bowel movement habits, gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz, MD MSCI, who wasn’t part of the study, suggests increasing fiber intake. He informs us that “95 percent of Americans are deficient in fiber,” emphasizing that “Fiber helps to normalize our bowel movements and get us into that sweet spot where the gut microbiome is optimally healthy and our bowels are moving at just the right pace, without diarrhea or constipation.”
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Embarking on a heart-healthy journey involves more than just exercise; it involves making significant dietary choices. Incremental changes to your eating habits can greatly impact your heart health, especially if you suffer from high blood pressure. Certain foods are known to support cardiovascular health and offer blood pressure regulation properties. Here, we collate advice from top doctors to list 15 nutritious foods that can help you maintain a healthy blood pressure.
1. Low-Sodium Foods
Reducing sodium intake can contribute to lowering your blood pressure. Stephen Vogel, MD, advises that cooking food at home allows control over salt content, and choosing low-sodium options when dining out can also help.
“Water retention puts stress on your arteries, just like cranking up your garden hose,” says Vogel.
2. Berries
Berries like blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries are rich in antioxidants that help stabilize blood pressure. Blueberries are particularly beneficial due to their high anthocyanin content, says cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD.
3. Fish
Fish, especially those high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and trout, can assist in lowering blood pressure. Vogel suggests incorporating at least two servings of fish per week into your diet to benefit from its lean protein and healthy fats.
4. Olive Oil
Substituting less healthy fats with extra virgin olive oil can help reduce blood pressure. This monounsaturated fat is rich in polyphenols, which are linked to better metabolic health according to Vogel.
5. Vegetables
Vegetables not only have a low sodium content but are also high in fiber. Vogel notes that consuming 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day can improve blood pressure.
6. Beets
Beets offer benefits beyond their high fiber content. They are rich in natural chemicals that can improve blood pressure upon conversion to nitric oxide in the body, explains Vogel.
7. Almonds
Almonds, rich in healthy fats and magnesium, are beneficial for blood pressure regulation, blood sugar control, and cholesterol management, Vogel points out.
8. Broccoli
Regular consumption of broccoli, due to its high calcium and magnesium content, is associated with lower blood pressure, Goldberg suggests.
9. Bananas
Bananas, an excellent source of potassium, can help regulate blood pressure, says Daniel Landau, MD.
10. Avocados
Avocados are another high-potassium food, beneficial in lowering the risk of hypertension and improving blood pressure levels, according to Goldberg.
11. Beans and Legumes
Beans and legumes, high in fiber, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, can help lower blood pressure, as noted by Goldberg.
12. Oatmeal
Oats, rich in beta-glucan, can support heart health and blood pressure control, Landau advises.
13. Cinnamon
Cinnamon, used regularly, can help maintain healthy blood pressure. Landau recommends adding it to oatmeal for a potent blend.
14. Yogurt
Yogurt, high in calcium and potassium, can aid in lowering blood pressure, states Goldberg.
15. Fruits – Kiwi and Citrus
Kiwis and citrus fruits like oranges are good choices to lower blood pressure due to their high potassium and flavonoid content, Goldberg concludes.
Adopting a heart-healthy diet is more than just about single food choices; it’s about creating sustainable habits that positively impact overall health. So, go ahead, revamp your meal plan, incorporate these heart-supporting foods, and take a step towards a healthier, happier heart.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
As our age advances, so do the health risks we face. Among these, cognitive decline, often a harrowing symptom that may signal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, is particularly frightening. Though risk factors and early indications of cognitive decline have been deeply researched, new findings continue to emerge. A recent study from November 2023, published in Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, has discovered a speech pattern that could potentially serve as an early warning sign of cognitive decline.
The study was conducted by researchers from Baycrest’s health science center and the University of Toronto. They examined whether patterns in speech could predict the onset of cognitive decline. Previous research suggested word-finding difficulty (WFD) as a potential indicator, but this is also a common sign of aging. The pace of speech, whether fast or slow, however, might offer a clearer warning signal.
Jed Meltzer, PhD, Baycrest’s Canada Research Chair in Interventional Cognitive Neuroscience and lead author of the study, said in a press release, “Our results indicate that changes in general talking speed may reflect changes in the brain.” He added, “This suggests that talking speed should be tested as part of standard cognitive assessments to help clinicians detect cognitive decline faster and help older adults support their brain health as they age.”
This groundbreaking study evaluated both talking speed and WFD in adults across a broad age range of 18 to 90 years. All 125 participants underwent three different assessments, including a picture-naming game which tested their ability to identify and name the images while ignoring distracting words played through headphones.
The second assessment tasked participants with describing two complex pictures within sixty seconds each. Their speech pace and pauses were analyzed using AI technology. The final assessment comprised of standard tests to evaluate various mental abilities, including executive function.
Post the completion of these assessments, researchers found that WFD and certain other abilities tend to decrease with age – an expected outcome. However, what intrigued them was that the reduced ability to recognize and remember an object’s name in a picture was not connected to a decline in other mental skills. Furthermore, there was no link between pauses while finding words and brain health.
The press release explains: “Instead, how fast participants were able to name pictures predicted how fast they spoke in general, and both were linked to executive function. In other words, it wasn’t pausing to find words that showed the strongest link to brain health, but the speed of speech surrounding pauses.”
Therefore, the researchers concluded that a noticeable slowdown in normal speech could be a more significant marker of cognitive decline than struggling to find the right words. However, this connection needs further exploration, and researchers suggest repeating these tests with the same participants over several years to confirm if speech speed indeed forecasts cognitive decline.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Sandra G Babcock
May 25, 2024 at 10:27 am
Long know the benefits of olive oil added to my diet. It also adds flavor to the foods you consume!