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Half a tablespoon of olive oil a day significantly lowered the risk of dementia-related death

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

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.

Lamb Asado with Molho de Campanha

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Lamb is a popular meat at Chilean asados (barbecues). Seasoned simply with salt and pepper, then grilled over mature coals, the meat is often served with freshly made rustic sauces or salsas.

Ingredients

For the lamb:

  • One butterflied leg of lamb, about 5 pounds Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

For the molho de campanha:

  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, or more to taste
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 medium plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
  • 1/2 sweet onion, peeled and diced
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Step 1

Cut a small chunk of fat from the lamb (use this to oil the grill grate), then season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Let the meat rest for 45 minutes.

Step 2

Set up a grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Brush the grill grate clean, then impale the lamb fat on a long-handled fork and oil the grill grate. Arrange the lamb on the grate and grill, turning as needed, for 40 minutes to one hour. (The time will depend on the heat of your grill.)

Step 3

In the meantime, place the wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper in a nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk until the salt dissolves. Add the tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, parsley, and oil and stir to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, black pepper, and/or vinegar as necessary.

Step 4

Let the lamb rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving with the molho de campanha.

Serves 8

Summer Squash in Tomato Broth with Quinoa Timbales

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro nearly eradicated quinoa from the world during his quest to destroy the Incas. But high in the mountains, some plants survived. A seed rather than a grain, quinoa gives this dish substance.

Ingredients

For the quinoa timbales:

  • 1 cup pre-washed white or black quinoa
  • Vegetable broth
  • Extra virgin olive oil for oiling the ramekins

For the squash:

  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • One large white onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 1/2 pounds zucchini and/or yellow summer squash, trimmed and diced
  • 1 to 2 jalapeños, sliced into rounds (optional)
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea), to taste
  • Chopped fresh cilantro, chives, or flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

Step 1

Prepare the quinoa according to the package directions using vegetable broth instead of water. Oil 6 ramekins or timbale molds and pack with the quinoa. Keep warm.

Step 2

Combine the garlic, half the onion, and the tomatoes in a blender jar or food processor and process until puréed. Heat a large nonreactive skillet. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and the remaining onions and sauté them over medium heat until soft but not browned, 5 to 6 minutes.

Step 3

Add the squash and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato mixture and the jalapeños, if using. Simmer for about 3 minutes, then add salt to taste.

Step 4

To serve, tip the quinoa timbales into the centers of 6 shallow soup bowls. Ladle the squash and tomato mixture around each timbale. Drizzle with additional olive oil, then sprinkle with chopped herbs. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Tomatoes a la Plancha

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

If you don’t own a plancha, you can make this recipe on a stovetop using a cast iron pan with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. This recipe also works well with bell pepper halves (stem, slice vertically, and seed them).

Ingredients

  • 4 large or 8 medium ripe tomatoes
  • 6 ounces grated Manchego cheese, about 2 cups
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more, as needed and for drizzling
  • Salt to taste

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your grill to medium.

Step 2

Prep the tomatoes by cutting out a circle in the top of each tomato, about a half-inch wider than the stem. Use a small spoon to remove most of
the seeds. Place the tomatoes on a serving dish and pack them with equal amounts of shredded cheese, pressing it in well (this helps keep it in place).

Step 3

Warm the plancha for a few minutes and then brush it liberally with olive oil, about two tablespoons. One at a time, quickly invert each tomato onto a wide metal spatula, cheese side down, and then use another spatula or tongs to slide it onto the plancha; repeat with all the tomatoes. Grill for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Step 4

Then, one at a time, slide the spatula under a tomato and flip it right side up, just as you would flip a pancake. Continue grilling, right side up, for another 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender. Transfer them back to the serving dish, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Serves 4