Reference: Tessier A-J, Cortese M, Yuan C, et al. Consumption of olive oil and dietary quality and risk of dementia-related death. JAMA Network Open. 2024;7(5):e2410021. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10021.
A recently published analysis of two large, long-term studies found that consuming half a tablespoon or more of olive oil per day lowered the risk of dying of dementia by up to 34% in both women and men. The protective effect of olive oil consumption was even greater in women.
More than 92,000 participants from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) were included in this analysis. The NHS started in 1976 and enrolled 121,700 female registered nurses (ages 30–55). The HPFS began in 1986 as a similar study in men, enrolling 51,525 male healthcare professionals (ages 40–75).
Study participants responded every other year to detailed food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) about their consumption of specific foods. Questions about olive oil were added in 1990. Total olive oil intake was determined by three responses: olive oil used for salad dressings, olive oil added to food or bread, and olive oil used for baking or frying at home.
Olive oil intake frequency was categorized as follows:
• Never, or less than once per month • Less than 4.5 grams (about one teaspoon) per day • Between 4.5 and 7 grams per day • More than 7 grams (about half a tablespoon) per day
About two-thirds of the study participants (65.6%) were women, about a third (34.4%) were men, and the average age at the start of the study was 56 years. Each participant’s FFQs from 1990 to 2014 (or for as long as the participant remained in the study) were totaled and averaged. Average olive oil intake was 1.3 grams per day in both studies.
Participants in the highest olive oil intake group—half a tablespoon or more of olive oil per day— reduced their risk of dying of dementia by 28% to 34%, compared to study participants who never or very rarely consumed olive oil. These results were regardless of other dietary habits and factored in socio-demographic and lifestyle differences.
Deaths due to dementia were confirmed by physician’s review of medical records, autopsy reports, or death certificates of study participants.
It has been proposed that consuming olive oil may lower the risk of dementia-related death by improving blood vessel health, yet the results of this analysis were not impacted by hypertension or high cholesterol in participants.
Limitations of this analysis include its predominantly non-Hispanic white population of healthcare professionals, which reduces the ability to generalize these results across more diverse populations. Also, the FFQs did not dis-tinguish among types of olive oil, which differ in their amounts of polyphenols and other bioactive compounds.
Mixed Berry Buckle Recipe, Spotlight on Blackberries, Pastry Cutters, Vitamin D Needs Vary and How Incentives Help You Move More
Whether you’re hosting a 4th of July party or need a dish to bring to a celebration, berry buckle checks all the boxes. It has the essential red, white, and blue look, thanks to its abundance of berries, can be made early in the day (or even the night before), and travels with ease if it’s to bring to a BBQ or picnic. While such outdoor activities can offer a boost of vitamin D, a new research review points out that how much you need is very individualized, and a one-size-fits-all approach to taking supplements probably isn’t effective for everyone. Need more motivation than being in sunshine to move more? Another study I’m sharing found that incentives can really make a difference.
When it comes to cobblers versus cakes, a buckle is the best of both worlds—a rich batter heavily studded with fresh fruit and topped with a crunchy crumble. As it bakes, the batter rises, or buckles, over the berries as the crumble crisps and browns. This version uses three berries for a red, white, and blue theme (the cake itself counts as the “white”!). The following proportions are for a large cake that will feed a crowd or provide delicious leftovers for breakfast the next day.
Ingredients
For the crumble topping:
4 ounces unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cake:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
8 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
8 large eggs
6 cups assorted berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, and sliced strawberries
Directions
Step 1
Make the topping: Use your hands or a pastry blender to turn the butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon into small bits, ranging from the size of peas to beans. Set aside.
Step 2
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish with olive oil; set aside. To make the batter, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl or standing mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition to combine, then add the olive oil and briefly beat again. Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
Step 3
Transfer the batter to your baking dish and use a large offset spatula to smooth the top. Arrange the berries evenly over the top, being sure to get some into the corners of the dish. Crumble the topping evenly over the fruit.
Step 4
Bake until the tip of a sharp knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about an hour. Serve while still warm.
Yields 12 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Blackberries
Plump, deep-purple blackberries are the unsung heroes of the berry patch. So sweet when ripe, they’re packed with vitamins C, K, and E, fiber (8 grams per cup), and a bounty of health-boosting phytochemicals, including anthocyanin, which gives them their unique color. Like blueberries, they hold their shape well when baked. Look for them at your farmers’ market or try growing them yourself.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Pastry Cutters
Also called a dough or pastry blender, a pastry cutter is a handy tool for cutting butter into flour thanks to its stainless steel blades. When making crumble and streusel toppings as well as pastry dough, it can be easier on your hands than using your fingers for the job, especially if you choose a style with an ergonomic cushioned nonslip handle. You simply press down with the pastry cutter, then lift and repeat, moving around your bowl until you get pieces the size that you need.
For Your Best Health
Vitamin D Needs Vary
A new study from scientists at Trinity College Dublin, published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, sheds light on the complexities of achieving optimal vitamin D status for different population groups, a mystery that is becoming increasingly important to unravel because the incidence of vitamin D deficiency remains high. More than helping to build strong bones, vitamin D regulates many cellular functions in your body, according to the Mayo Clinic. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties that boost your immune health, your brain cell activity, and how well your muscles function.
The authors analyzed data from half a million participants from the UK and calculated an individualized estimate of each person’s ambient ultraviolet-B (UVB) level, which is the wavelength of sunlight that induces vitamin D synthesis in the skin.
Their comprehensive analysis revealed novel insights. The first is that ambient UVB is a critical predictor of vitamin D status, even in a place like the UK, which receives relatively little sunlight. The second is that your age, sex, BMI, cholesterol level, and vitamin D supplementation significantly influence how you respond to UVB. For example, when BMI and age increase, the amount of vitamin D produced in response to UVB decreases.
“We hope this work can highlight the significant differences in vitamin D levels among different ethnic groups at northern latitudes and contribute to efforts to address the long-standing population health issue of vitamin D deficiency,” said study first author Dr. Margaret M. Brennan, research assistant in the department of public health and primary care in the School of Medicine at Trinity College.
Principal investigator Dr. Lina Zgaga, associate professor of epidemiology at Trinity, added, “We believe our findings have significant implications for the development of tailored recommendations for vitamin D supplementation. Our study underscores the need to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach towards personalized strategies for optimizing vitamin D status.”
Talk to your doctor about assessing your vitamin D status and what you might need to do to boost it.
Fitness Flash
Incentives Help You Move More
Adults with heart disease risks who received daily reminders or incentives to become more active increased their daily steps by more than 1,500 after a year, and many were still sticking with their new habit six months later, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published in the journal Circulation.
The improvements, which also resulted in an extra 40 minutes of moderate exercise each week, correlated with a 6% reduced risk of premature death and a 10% reduced risk of cardiovascular-related death, compared to data from prior studies. As a reminder, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends that most adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, like fast cycling, or a combination of the two, paired with twice-weekly strength sessions.
Researchers found that while a simple daily reminder was effective in helping people move more, offering financial incentives or point-based rewards from playing a game was even more effective…and combining the two incentives was the most effective. Participants who got both were still logging improvements in activity levels six months after the rewards stopped.
“Even moderate exercise can drastically reduce cardiovascular risk, so finding low-cost ways to get people moving and stay[ing] in a fitness program that they can do at home is a huge win for public health,” said Alison Brown, PhD, RD, a program officer at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of NIH.
The study took place between 2019 and 2024. Researchers followed more than 1,000 adults at elevated risk for major cardiovascular events. All participants received a wearable fitness tracker, which connected to an online health portal and enabled researchers to count their baseline daily step count. Participants then set a goal to increase their daily steps by 33%, 40%, 50%, or any amount greater than 1,500 steps from their starting point. (Before the study began, participants in all groups logged an average of about 5,000 daily steps, or 2.4 miles.)
After they set their goals, participants were randomly placed into one of four groups. People in three of the groups were offered incentives: game-like rewards, financial rewards, or a combination of the two. The fourth group was the control group; participants received no incentives but got the fitness tracker, along with daily messages that noted their step count.
In the game group, each participant received points every week and kept them by meeting their daily step goals. On days they failed to meet their goals they lost points. Participants with enough points moved up a level, and participants who failed to meet goals moved down a level. A family member or friend could act as a participant’s “support crew” and receive weekly updates about their progress. At the end of the study, adults who reached the highest levels by meeting their daily step goals received trophies. In the financial group, each participant received $14 each week, but lost $2 a day if they did not meet their step targets. The third group received both game-like and financial incentives.
Compared to the control group, the game-incentive group walked an extra 538 steps per day from their baseline amount, while those who received financial incentives walked an extra 492. The group who received both incentives averaged 868 extra steps and maintained an average of 576 more daily steps six months later.
“The interventions created immediate benefits for participants, and they worked,” said Alexander C. Fanaroff, MD, one of the study authors, an expert in behavior change, and an interventional cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “Research shows it’s easier to think about today instead of the future, whether it’s exercising more to support long-term heart health or saving for a future goal, like college or retirement.”
Researchers said people wanting to change their behavior, especially around exercise, can focus on the same principles used in the study, which created immediate benefits or rewards for movement. For example, there are exercise apps that provide daily reminders and rewards for meeting personal health goals, or people could enlist family and friends for support, and even create scenarios where they lose money by giving it away if they don’t meet their targets.
When it comes to cobblers versus cakes, a buckle is the best of both worlds—a rich batter heavily studded with fresh fruit and topped with a crunchy crumble. As it bakes, the batter rises, or buckles, over the berries as the crumble crisps and browns. This version uses three berries for a red, white, and blue theme (the cake itself counts as the “white”!). The following proportions are for a large cake that will feed a crowd or provide delicious leftovers for breakfast the next day.
Ingredients
For the crumble topping:
4 ounces unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cake:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
8 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
8 large eggs
6 cups assorted berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, and sliced strawberries
Directions
Step 1
Make the topping: Use your hands or a pastry blender to turn the butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon into small bits, ranging from the size of peas to beans. Set aside.
Step 2
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish with olive oil; set aside. To make the batter, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl or standing mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition to combine, then add the olive oil and briefly beat again. Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
Step 3
Transfer the batter to your baking dish and use a large offset spatula to smooth the top. Arrange the berries evenly over the top, being sure to get some into the corners of the dish. Crumble the topping evenly over the fruit.
Step 4
Bake until the tip of a sharp knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about an hour. Serve while still warm.
Easy Potato Gnocchi Recipe, Spotlight on 00 Flour, the Useful Potato Ricer, The Health of Plant-Based Diets, and Exercise to Ward Off Depression and Anxiety
Unless you’re skilled at making pasta by hand, “homemade” can seem like a daunting undertaking. Happily, this isn’t the case with gnocchi—it calls for a deliciously simple prep and can be finished with just a luscious drizzle of fresh-pressed olive oil…or with your most elaborate sauce. In addition to two of my gnocchi-making hacks, this edition of the newsletter includes a look at two thought-provoking research reviews. One analyzes dozens of studies on the health benefits of plant-based diets, and the other looks at studies about the mental health benefits of exercising at a slow or medium pace. Together, they can add up to a healthier lifestyle.
Intimidated by the idea of making pasta at home? Gnocchi is a happy compromise because you don’t need a pasta machine or endless rolling to achieve delectable results. A 2:1 potato to flour ratio works best; for accuracy, measure with a kitchen scale. For the smoothest dough, use a potato ricer, a handy and inexpensive tool (see the “Quick Kitchen Nugget” in Olive Oil Hunter News).
Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 pound all-purpose or 00 pasta flour, plus more for shaping
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided use
Directions
Step 1
Peel and quarter the potatoes. Steam them on a steaming rack placed over a few inches of water in a large, covered pot until tender, about 25 minutes. The water should stay at a simmer; check halfway through to see if you need to add more.
Step 2
Let the potatoes cool slightly and then press them through a ricer set over a large bowl, working in batches. Add in the egg, flour, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt, and use your hands to mix the ingredients well and knead into a ball. Dust a clean section of your countertop with a handful of flour. Turn out the dough, shape it into a log, and cut it into 6 even sections. One at a time, roll each section into a rope about 1 inch in diameter, lightly flouring your hands as needed. Use a bench scraper to cut each rope into 1-inch pieces.
Step 3
Bring a very large pot of water to a boil. Add the rest of the salt and the gnocchi. Lower the heat to a medium boil and cook until the gnocchi rise to the surface, just a few minutes. Scoop them out with a spider strainer, and top with sauce as desired.
Yields 4 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
00 Flour
Usually I like to use some whole wheat flour in recipes that call for all-purpose flour because it retains all the nutrients of whole wheat. But there are some dishes that truly benefit from the most finely textured (yes, refined) flour—consider them occasional indulgences. That’s the case with gnocchi and 00 flour, also known as doppio (double) zero, one of Italy’s many culinary gifts to us.
Made from durum wheat, it’s arguably the finest (in terms of texture) and most refined flour available, beloved for making pasta and pizza. It creates a very malleable dough that’s so easy to work with. If you use it, you’ll also notice that it takes less water than all-purpose flour to form a dough, and you may need to adjust proportions when making a recipe that uses all-purpose flour.
Italian brands of 00 flour, like Caputo’s, are readily available here, and American mills, like King Arthur’s and Bob’s Red Mill, have introduced it as well. One important note: There are different versions of 00 flour, some ideal for pasta and others for pizza and bread; read labels carefully so you get the right one for your recipe.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
The Potato Ricer: The Gadget You Didn’t Think You Needed
No matter how smoothly you mash potatoes, all that elbow grease probably can’t equal the finesse of a potato ricer, a gizmo that turns boiled potatoes (and other foods) into tiny, rice-like pieces that can then be finely mashed or turned into gnocchi. You simply fill the basket with cooked potatoes and press down on a handle to force them through the small holes in the bottom of the basket, then repeat until you’ve riced all your potatoes.
You can also run any fruit or vegetable that’s been steamed or boiled to a tender consistency through a ricer. Some people love it for making fruit butters and coulis or for making spaetzle—fill the bucket with your dough and press down on the handle as you hold the ricer over simmering water.
Look for a ricer with a large bucket—you won’t have to refill it as often—and ergonomic handles that require less effort to press. Some brands offer interchangeable plates with different hole sizes. Note: It won’t rice potato skins, so you’ll miss out on those nutrients. If you forget to peel the potatoes before cooking, it’s no calamity—the skins will collect in the bucket, and you’ll just need to remove them before you add the next batch.
For Your Best Health
Food for Thought: Assessing the Health of Plant-Based Diets
We know that eating too much meat, refined grains, sugar, and salt and too few plant-based foods increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Vegetarian and vegan diets have been linked to better health outcomes, but no one had really taken a deep dive into the overall benefits reported in various research papers…until now. Dr. Angelo Capodici and colleagues at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Italy, set out to do just that and see what could be gleaned.
They reviewed 48 papers published between January 2000 and June 2023, which had themselves been compiled as evidence from multiple prior studies. They extracted and analyzed data on links between plant-based diets, cardiovascular health, and cancer risk.
Their analysis, published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, showed that, overall, vegetarian and vegan diets have a robust statistical association with better health status on a number of risk factors associated with cardiometabolic diseases, cancer, and mortality, such as blood pressure, management of blood sugar, and body mass index. Such diets are associated with reduced risk of ischemic heart disease, gastrointestinal and prostate cancer, and death from cardiovascular disease. (One interesting note: Among pregnant women specifically, those with vegetarian diets faced no difference in their risk of gestational diabetes and hypertension compared to those on non-plant-based diets.)
Taken as a whole, these findings suggest that plant-based diets are associated with significant health benefits. The authors summed it up this way: “Our study evaluates the different impacts of animal-free diets for cardiovascular health and cancer risk, showing how a vegetarian diet can be beneficial to human health and be one of the effective preventive strategies for the two most impactful chronic diseases on human health in the 21st century.”
However, the researchers pointed out that the strength of this association is limited by the many differences between past studies in terms of the specific diet regimens followed, patient demographics, study duration, and other factors. Moreover, some plant-based diets may introduce vitamin and mineral deficiencies for some people. So, they also cautioned against large-scale recommendation of plant-based diets until more research is completed.
Fitness Flash
This Type of Exercise May Ward Off Depression and Anxiety
A new study review conducted at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK, has found a significant link between participating in low-to-moderate-intensity exercise and better mental health.
Researchers carried out a review of studies from around the world to examine the potential of physical activity as a mental health intervention. Their analysis, published in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, found that physical activity reduced the risk of depression by 23% and anxiety by 26%. It was also significantly associated with reduced risk of severe mental health conditions, including a reduction in psychosis/schizophrenia by 27%.
A particularly strong association was found between low- and moderate-intensity physical activity—which included activities such as gardening, golf, and walking—and a reduced risk of depression. Somewhat surprisingly, this was not strongly observed for high-intensity exercise. The results were consistent in both men and women, across different age groups, and around the world.
Lead author Lee Smith, PhD, professor of public health and an epidemiologist with expertise in physical activity and sedentary behavior, said, “Preventing mental health complications effectively has emerged as a major challenge, and an area of paramount importance in the realm of public health. These conditions can be complex and necessitate a multi-pronged approach to treatment, which may encompass pharmacological interventions, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes.
“These effects of physical activity intensity on depression highlight the need for precise exercise guidelines. Moderate exercise can improve mental health through biochemical reactions, whereas high-intensity exercise may worsen stress-related responses in some individuals.”
Dr. Smith added, “Acknowledging differences in people’s response[s] to exercise is vital for effective mental health strategies, suggesting any activity recommendations should be tailored for the individual. The fact that even low to moderate levels of physical activity can be beneficial for mental health is particularly important, given that these levels of activity may be more achievable for people who can make smaller lifestyle changes without feeling they need to commit to a high-intensity exercise program.”
