Abstract
BackgroundNumerous studies have investigated the role of the monounsaturated fatty acid and other dietary factors in the prevention of cognitive decline but the short-term effect of a low dose of extravirgin olive oil on cognitive performances in the elderly have not still been investigated. Our aim was to investigate whether the replacement of all vegetable oils with a lower amount of extravirgin olive oil, in the contest of a Mediterranean Diet, would improve cognitive performances, among elderly Italian individuals.Methods180 elderly individuals were randomly assigned to these treatment groups for 1 year: (1) MedDiet plus extravirgin OO, 20–30 g/day; (2) control MedDiet. The cognitive sub-test of ADAScale was used to detect cognitive decline progression over 12 months.ResultsADAS-cog score variation after 1 year, adjusted for food groups which were different between groups, was − 1.6 ± 0.4 and − 3.0 ± 0.4 in the MedDiet and MedDiet plus extravirgin OO groups, respectively (p = 0.024). Extravirgin OO intake was 30 g ± 12 and 26 g ± 6 in the MedDiet and MedDiet plus extravirgin OO groups, respectively (p = 0.044).ConclusionsWe demonstrated the higher short-term improvement of cognitive functions scores in individuals of the MedDiet plus low dose of extravirgin olive oil rather than MedDiet alone. Extravirgin olive oil is the best quality oil and may have a neuroprotective effect.
Highlights
Numerous studies have investigated the role of the monounsaturated fatty acid and other dietary factors in the prevention of cognitive decline but the short-term effect of a low dose of extravirgin olive oil on cognitive performances in the elderly have not still been investigated
This study included participants recruited into the study entitled: Effect of the MedDiet on cognitive function in the elderly” carried-out between February 2013 to August 2016, funded by Italian Ministry of Health and whose protocol was approved by the local ethics committee at the “Mater Domini” University Hospital in Catanzaro, Italy
All participants underwent a neuropsychological assessment conducted by an expert neurologist using a medical assessment and the following neuropsychological tests: the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) [13,14,15,16] and the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive sub-scale (ADAS-cog) [17,18,19]
Summary
Numerous studies have investigated the role of the monounsaturated fatty acid and other dietary factors in the prevention of cognitive decline but the short-term effect of a low dose of extravirgin olive oil on cognitive performances in the elderly have not still been investigated. Individuals with cognitive impairments and dementia increase in prevalence exponentially with age, with trends worldwide likely to worsen in ensuing decades [1]. These clinical conditions are associated with high overall costs representing a severe burden to society which need to plan wisely to allocate appropriate resources to meet the demands of the disease. A specific associations between extravirgin olive oil (OO) consumption, and cognitive functions have not still been formally examined, especially at low doses and in the short term
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