A new study has concluded that a daily consumption of olive oil in place of butter, mayo, or margarine, can lessen your chances of dying from dementia. This information was delivered at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Participants who included half a tablespoon of olive oil in their daily diet were 28% less likely to die of dementia.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 55 million people are currently living with some form of dementia globally. This is in addition to an estimated 10 million new cases yearly with dementia being the seventh leading cause of death among older adults.

The current most prevalent form of dementia is Alzheimer’s, which affects an estimated 6 million people over the age of 65 in the United States alone.

The new study, which involved more than 90,000 US health professionals and was conducted at Harvard, has found that people who consumed half a tablespoon of olive oil daily had a nearly a 30% reduced risk of dying from dementia compared to people who did not use olive oil. Researchers analyzed health records from 1990 to 2018 for 60,582 females and 31,801 males. Their health was then monitored for the next 28 years.

The study also finds that even just a minor dietary change could yield incredible results. Replacing just one teaspoon of margarine, butter, or mayo with the equivalent amount of olive oil might cut the risk of dementia morbidity by up to 14%.

That’s no small number either.

These findings are still in the preliminary stage, but experts have acknowledged that the results indicate at least a correlation of olive oil’s brain strengthening powers, cementing its place as one of the ultimate superfoods.