Consuming virgin olive oil has been linked to better cognitive performance and more diverse gut bacteria compared to refined olive oil. The corresponding study was published in Microbiome.
”This research reinforces the idea that the quality of the fat we consume is as important as the quantity; extra virgin olive oil not only protects the heart, but can also help preserve the brain during aging,” said principal investigator of the study, Jordi Salas-Salvadó of the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology at the University of Rovira i Virgili in Spain, in a press release.
Whereas extra virgin olive oil is produced using mechanical methods which help preserve its natural compounds, refined olive oil undergoes industrial processing to get rid of impurities.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from 656 participants aged between 55 and 75 years old who had overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome. Data sources included stool samples and a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire at the start of the study as well as neuropsychological tests taken both at the start of the study and after two years.
Ultimately, the researchers found that higher consumption of virgin olive oil was associated with superior cognitive function and a more diverse gut microbiota over a 2-year follow-up. They also found that higher consumption of refined olive oil was linked to lower microbiota diversity and poorer cognitive outcomes.
Further analyses revealed that a group of gut bacteria, Adlercreutzia, may mediate the link between virgin olive oil and improvements in cognitive function. Salas-Salvadó added that identifying a specific microbial profile behind these improvements “pave the way for new nutrition-based prevention strategies to preserve cognitive functions.”
“These findings underscore the potential of microbiota-targeted dietary strategies to promote cognitive health in aging populations, though further high-quality and clinical cohort studies are required,” wrote the researchers in their study.
Sources: Science Daily, Microbiome