Consumption of olive oil protects against Alzheimer

The research team also identified the mechanisms on which the protective effects of extra virgin olive oil are based.“We found that olive oil reduces cerebral inflammation but mainly activates a process known as autophagy (a process by which cells break down and purify intracellular fragments and toxins, such as amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary meshes,” researchers. To investigate the relationship between extra virgin olive oil and dementia, the researchers used a well-established mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease. Known as a triple transgenic model (3xTg), animals develop three main features of the disease: memory impairment, amyloid wounds and neurofibrillary meshes.The researchers divided the mice into two groups, one that received a diet enriched with extra virgin olive oil and another that received a diet without the olive oil. Olive oil was introduced into the diet when the mice were 6 months old before the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease appeared in the animal model.

Read the Full Story at theweeklyobserver.com