Olive oil has long been shown to have heart health benefits, but a new Spanish study from Rovira y Virgili University reveals that extra virgin olive oil may also protect heart health. brain health.
The study found that people who consumed virgin olive oil rather than refined olive oil had improved cognitive function and increased diversity in their gut biome, which researchers claim is an “important marker of gut and metabolic health.”
“This is the first prospective human study specifically analyzing the role of olive oil in the interaction between the gut microbiota and cognitive function,” study lead author Jiaqi Ni, a researcher at URV’s Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology in Spain, said in a press release.
The study used two years of data from more than 600 people between the ages of 55 and 75. overweight or obese He had metabolic syndrome, a factor that increases the risk of heart disease.
The researchers determined that participants’ consumption of both refined and virgin olive oil and intestinal flora (The entire collection of living microorganisms in the human intestine).
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The findings suggest that an increase in a variety of gut bacteria is the reason people consume food. virgin olive oil Researchers say brain health improved. People who consumed refined olive oil had reduced intestinal diversity over time.
According to researchers, the main difference between refined and virgin olive oil is the processing method.
Refined olive oil undergoes industrial processing to remove impurities. These treatments degrade the oil and strip it of its natural properties. antioxidants and vitamins Things that are beneficial to human health.
The team also conducted follow-up studies to identify changes in participants’ cognitive function. People who consumed extra virgin olive oil were found to have improved memory, attention, and executive function over a two-year period.
Refined olive oil did not show similar cognitive effects. “Not all olive oils benefit cognitive function,” Nee points out.
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Jordi Salas Salvado, the study’s lead researcher, said the study supports the idea that the quality of fat people consume is just as important as the quantity.
“Extra virgin olive oil not only protects your heart, but also helps protect your brain” Aging” said in a press release.
This is because this was an observational study that focused on elderly Mediterranean people with a specific disease. health risksthis study’s findings may not apply to the general population, and this study does not prove that olive oil alone caused cognitive changes.
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The researchers noted that factors such as smoking and lower education levels are more common among people who use refined oils and could skew the results despite their best efforts to adjust the data.
Additionally, this study was based on self-reported diet, which may introduce a risk of inaccuracy.
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The study was published in the journal Microbiome.
