“Mediterranean Brain Food” REVERSES Alzheimer’s Markers?!
There are certain regions of the world called Blue Zones, where people tend to live extra-long lives.
These people are healthier, too, with lower rates of major conditions like heart disease and cancer.
People in these regions are also less likely to experience mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease — something modern medicine has zero solutions for.
But it turns out that a “Mediterranean brain food” used by individuals in these regions could be the reason their brains are better protected.
Olives — and olive oil — are a staple food in Blue Zone diets. And they also are in the popular Mediterranean-style diet.
Olive oil is loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats that are known to reduce the risk of heart disease.
But the brain-protective effects are just as impressive.
A 6-year-long study called MICOIL was the first study to ever test extra virgin olive oil in a clinical trial to determine its impact on mild cognitive impairment.
The results were clear:
Long-term use of extra virgin olive oil can delay or PREVENT Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment!
It also appeared that much of the protective effect came from compounds in olive oil called phenols.
The results showed that high- and moderate-phenolic extra virgin olive oil was more protective than low-phenolic varieties.
The study also revealed that people who consumed at least 50 ml of olive oil per day for a year had decreased levels of proteins in their blood that indicate Alzheimer’s.
The study was small, but since then there have been a number of follow-on studies to further test its results.
Let’s look at the conclusions found by a few of these studies:
- One study found that people who had consumed olive oil every day for 12 months had higher levels of a neuroprotective protein, lower levels of oxidation and inflammation, and normalized levels of Alzheimer’s biomarkers.
- Another study found that extra virgin olive oil helped the brain function better.
- Another confirmed that Alzheimer’s markers like amyloid beta protein and tau were restored to normal levels after consuming the olive oil for a year.
- A fourth review article determined that regular intake of olive oil was associated with enhanced neuroprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial activities.
The bottom line is that extra virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest fats on the planet.
And when it comes to brain health, it’s powerful enough to REVERSE markers of Alzheimer’s disease.
If you’re not already including it in your diet, it’s never too late to start.
Just make sure you’re consuming extra virgin olive oil that’s high in phenols.
Dr. Richard Gerhauser
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