Extra Virgin Olive Oil has Potential to Treat Alzheimer's – Canola Oil may be Detrimental

Canola Oil is not the same as Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For years people believed that canola oil, also called rape seed oil, was just as healthy as extra virgin olive oil, but only less expensive. It was also erroneously believed that Alzheimer’s patients could benefit as much from canola oil as from extra virgin olive oil. People who reside in countries mainly around the Mediterranean, where olive oil is the main dietary fat and cooking oil live longer, have less cardiovascular disease and less dementia and Alzheimer’s disease than people in other countries. Olive oil makes up a large portion of the growing popularity of the “Mediterranean Diet”, which also consists of a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Canola Oil Raised Risk for Developing Alzheimer’s in Mice

However, a scientific study published December 7, 2017 has shown just the opposite of the commonly held belief that canola oil has the same healing benefits as extra virgin olive oil when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease. Not only did canola oil not have the same healing properties as extra virgin olive oil on developed Alzheimer’s mice, but in fact canola oil actually raised the risk for developing Alzheimer’s. This study has far-reaching implications for treating humans with Alzheimer’s. This is quite phenomenal, especially considering that the consumption of canola oil in the United States is second after soybean oil.

Canola Oil reduced Memory in Mice and Increased Destructive Amyloid Plaques

In the study mice were developed to have Alzheimer’s characteristics and when they were six months old they were divided into two groups. One group was fed regular mouse chow, while the other group of mice had canola oil added to their chow. After six months the mice that had the canola oil added to their chow showed a reduction in their functioning memory. They also showed a decrease in the good kind of amyloid beta protein, which allowed for an increase in the destructive kind of amyloid beta protein in their brains. In fact, the canola fed mice had amyloid plaques in their brains.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Improved Alzheimer’s Disease Characteristics in Mice

In an earlier study published in May 2017, mice were also developed to have Alzheimer’s characteristics and divided into two groups at the age of six months. One group had regular chow and the other group had extra virgin olive oil added to their chow. After six months the mice that were fed chow with extra virgin olive oil showed a significant improvement on all the regular characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease.

Conclusion

The results of the study on canola oil on Alzeimer’s developed mice that was headed by Domenico Praticò, director of the Alzheimer’s Center at Temple’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine should send an earthquake wake-up call to family members, caregivers and dietitians. Canola oil actually may be harmful to Alzheimer’s patients, according to the results of the study with mice, whereas extra virgin olive oil has great healing potential for treating Alzheimer’s.

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