Canola oil impairs brains of Alzheimer's mice; olive oil helps them

  • Studies involving genetically engineered mice found that canola oil was linked to worse cognition, more amyloid plaques, and greater synapse loss, while extra-virgin olive oil was linked to fewer plaques, less inflammation, and better memory.

A mouse study has found that canola oil in the diet was associated with worsened memory, worsened learning ability, and weight gain in Alzheimer's mice.

Canola oil-treated animals also had greatly reduced levels of amyloid beta 1-40 (the “good” version), leading to more amyloid-beta plaques (made from amyloid beta 1-42), and a significant decrease in synapses.

The mice were given the equivalent of about two tablespoons of canola oil daily. The mice began their enriched diet at 6 months of age, before they developed any signs of Alzheimer's.

A previous study by the same researchers found that Alzheimer’s mice fed a diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil had reduced levels of amyloid plaques and phosphorylated tau and experienced memory improvement.

Moreover, olive oil reduced inflammation in the brain, improved synaptic integrity, and dramatically increased levels of autophagy (the process by which waste products from cells are cleared away).

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/tuhs-trc120617.php

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-06/tuhs-tse061917.php

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