Study Shows Extra Virgin Olive Oil Staves Off Multiple Forms of Dementia in Mice

A mouse study in Aging Cell found extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) can ward off multiple types of dementia, reports Medical Xpress . Whereas previous research from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) showed EVOO preserves memory and shields the brain against Alzheimer's disease in mice, the new study found the substance also arms the brain against tauopathies, characterized by the gradual buildup of the tau protein. In mice engineered to exhibit tauopathy, normal tau protein becomes defective and accrues in the brain, forming harmful tangles. These deposits inhibit neuron communication and impair thinking and memory, inducing frontotemporal dementia. Tau mice were given a diet supplemented with EVOO at a young age, and six months later they had a 60 percent reduction in damaging tau deposits, versus those that were not administered EVOO. Mice fed EVOO also outperformed EVOO-deprived mice on memory and learning tests. Analysis of EVOO-fed mice's brain tissue revealed that improved brain function was likely enabled by healthier synapse function, and linked to higher-than-normal levels of complexin-1, a protein that plays an essential role in keeping synapses healthy. "We are particularly interested in knowing whether EVOO can reverse tau damage and ultimately treat tauopathy in older mice," said LKSOM's Domenico Praticò.