A Spoonful of Olive Oil a Day May Help Lower Dementia Risk, Study Finds

Adding a small amount of olive oil to your daily diet may help reduce dementia risk.A new study analyzed data from more than 92,000 participants over 28 years. The participants were asked about their dietary patterns and olive oil consumption every four years. Those who consumed more than seven grams (about half a tablespoon) of olive oil a day were 28% less likely to die from dementia compared to those who rarely or never consumed it.However, this is an observational study that can identify associations but cannot determine cause and effect. In other words, it’s unclear if olive oil itself directly reduces the risk of dementia-related death or if other lifestyle factors are at play.“This study looked at people’s health records, death records, diet, and food frequency questionnaires to try to identify possible connections between specific food intake and risk of dementia-related death,”Stefania Forner, PhD, director of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, told Verywell.“It is not an intervention study where some people ate olive oil, and some didn’t, which is the gold standard for the way a treatment clinical trial is conducted,” Forner added.While you can’t count on a spoonful of olive oil to reduce your risk for dementia-related mortality, including it in your diet pattern can offerhealth benefitsthat support cognitive health.“We’ve known for a long time that olive oil and other sources of unsaturated fat are important for aspects of cardiovascular health, including lowering cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the risk of heart disease,”Leah Barron, RD, LD, CPT, a dietitian at The Baseline Lifestyle Co., told Verywell.The relationship between heart and brain health is well-established.A study published in theJournal of the American Heart Associationfound that people with higher heart disease risk scores had worse cognitive function than those with lower risk, suggesting that what’s good for the heart is also good for the brain.Experts say it’s important to focus on the big picture of your dietary habits instead of relying on one “magic bullet” like a daily spoonful of olive oil for brain health.“Eating an overall heart-healthy diet may contribute to decreasing one’s risk for cognitive decline and dementia,” Forner said. “However, there isn’t a single food or ingredient that, through rigorous scientific research, has been shown to prevent, treat, or cure Alzheimer’s or other dementia.”Can Olive Oil Help You Live Longer?What This Means For YouWhile a daily spoonful of olive oil isn’t a guaranteed way to lower your risk of dementia, including it in your diet as part of a balanced, heart-healthy eating pattern may offer benefits for brain health. The study suggests a potential link between olive oil and lower dementia-related mortality, but experts emphasize that it’s not a magic bullet. Focus on a diet rich in unsaturated fats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which are known to support both heart and brain health.

Adding a small amount of olive oil to your daily diet may help reduce dementia risk.

A new study analyzed data from more than 92,000 participants over 28 years. The participants were asked about their dietary patterns and olive oil consumption every four years. Those who consumed more than seven grams (about half a tablespoon) of olive oil a day were 28% less likely to die from dementia compared to those who rarely or never consumed it.

However, this is an observational study that can identify associations but cannot determine cause and effect. In other words, it’s unclear if olive oil itself directly reduces the risk of dementia-related death or if other lifestyle factors are at play.

“This study looked at people’s health records, death records, diet, and food frequency questionnaires to try to identify possible connections between specific food intake and risk of dementia-related death,”Stefania Forner, PhD, director of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, told Verywell.

“It is not an intervention study where some people ate olive oil, and some didn’t, which is the gold standard for the way a treatment clinical trial is conducted,” Forner added.

While you can’t count on a spoonful of olive oil to reduce your risk for dementia-related mortality, including it in your diet pattern can offerhealth benefitsthat support cognitive health.

“We’ve known for a long time that olive oil and other sources of unsaturated fat are important for aspects of cardiovascular health, including lowering cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the risk of heart disease,”Leah Barron, RD, LD, CPT, a dietitian at The Baseline Lifestyle Co., told Verywell.

The relationship between heart and brain health is well-established.A study published in theJournal of the American Heart Associationfound that people with higher heart disease risk scores had worse cognitive function than those with lower risk, suggesting that what’s good for the heart is also good for the brain.

Experts say it’s important to focus on the big picture of your dietary habits instead of relying on one “magic bullet” like a daily spoonful of olive oil for brain health.

“Eating an overall heart-healthy diet may contribute to decreasing one’s risk for cognitive decline and dementia,” Forner said. “However, there isn’t a single food or ingredient that, through rigorous scientific research, has been shown to prevent, treat, or cure Alzheimer’s or other dementia.”

Can Olive Oil Help You Live Longer?

What This Means For YouWhile a daily spoonful of olive oil isn’t a guaranteed way to lower your risk of dementia, including it in your diet as part of a balanced, heart-healthy eating pattern may offer benefits for brain health. The study suggests a potential link between olive oil and lower dementia-related mortality, but experts emphasize that it’s not a magic bullet. Focus on a diet rich in unsaturated fats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which are known to support both heart and brain health.

What This Means For You

While a daily spoonful of olive oil isn’t a guaranteed way to lower your risk of dementia, including it in your diet as part of a balanced, heart-healthy eating pattern may offer benefits for brain health. The study suggests a potential link between olive oil and lower dementia-related mortality, but experts emphasize that it’s not a magic bullet. Focus on a diet rich in unsaturated fats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which are known to support both heart and brain health.

3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tessier AJ, Cortese M, Yuan C, et al.Consumption of olive oil and diet quality and risk of dementia-related death.JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(5):e2410021-e2410021.American Heart Association.The link between heart health and brain health.Wei J, Xu H, Liese AD, et al.Ten-year cardiovascular disease risk score and cognitive function among older adults: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011 to 2014.J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12(11):e028527. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.028527

3 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tessier AJ, Cortese M, Yuan C, et al.Consumption of olive oil and diet quality and risk of dementia-related death.JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(5):e2410021-e2410021.American Heart Association.The link between heart health and brain health.Wei J, Xu H, Liese AD, et al.Ten-year cardiovascular disease risk score and cognitive function among older adults: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011 to 2014.J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12(11):e028527. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.028527

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Tessier AJ, Cortese M, Yuan C, et al.Consumption of olive oil and diet quality and risk of dementia-related death.JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(5):e2410021-e2410021.American Heart Association.The link between heart health and brain health.Wei J, Xu H, Liese AD, et al.Ten-year cardiovascular disease risk score and cognitive function among older adults: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011 to 2014.J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12(11):e028527. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.028527

Tessier AJ, Cortese M, Yuan C, et al.Consumption of olive oil and diet quality and risk of dementia-related death.JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(5):e2410021-e2410021.

American Heart Association.The link between heart health and brain health.

Wei J, Xu H, Liese AD, et al.Ten-year cardiovascular disease risk score and cognitive function among older adults: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011 to 2014.J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12(11):e028527. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.028527

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