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Consumption of olive oil and diet quality and risk of dementia-related death
This prospective cohort study by Tessier et al. (2024), spanning from 1990 to 2018 and involving participants from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS), aimed to investigate the association between olive oil consumption and the subsequent risk of dementia-related death. The study also examined the combined effect of olive oil intake and overall diet quality and the substitution of other fats. Data on olive oil intake were collected every four years using food frequency questionnaires, with participants categorized based on their intake levels. Over the 28-year follow-up period, which totaled 2,183,095 person-years among 92,383 participants, 4751 dementia-related deaths occurred. According to the study, those who consumed more olive oil—especially those who did so at least 7 g/d—had a 28% reduced chance of dying due to dementia than people who seldom consumed it. This connection remained significant even after accounting for variables such as the apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE ε4) allele. Furthermore, no interaction by diet quality scores was observed, suggesting that the beneficial effect of olive oil intake on dementia-related mortality was consistent across different diet qualities. The analysis of substitution effects revealed that an 8% to 14% decreased risk of dementia mortality was linked to substituting an equivalent quantity of olive oil for 5 g/d of margarine and mayonnaise. Substituting butter or other vegetable oils did not demonstrate any meaningful correlations. The authors conclude that higher olive oil intake was linked to a reduced risk of dementia-related mortality among US adults, independent of overall diet quality. These findings support existing dietary recommendations regarding olive oil for heart health and suggest its potential benefits for cognitive-related health. [NPID: Olive oil consumption, dementia-related mortality, diet quality, apolipoprotein, cognitive health, dietary fat substitution]
Year: 2024
