New research out of Spain suggests that extra virgin olive oil — the real, cold-pressed stuff — may do something remarkable: support memory, attention, and problem-solving in adults over 55, thanks to a gut-brain connection scientists are only beginning to understand. Rally breaks down what makes EVOO different from the cheaper stuff on store shelves, and why quality matters more than you might think. Your brain is the whole ballgame — and this episode may give you one more simple way to protect it.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Rally:
Hey there, beautiful people. Rally Preston here. Welcome back to The Silver Beast Podcast.
Y’know, many years ago…I had the pleasure of walking around an old olive tree grove just outside of Umbria, Italy. What I remember most are the olive tree’s massive trunks – This was an old grove, ancient really I guess to us – many of those trees were centuries old, their trunks tangled in almost impossible shapes, all gnarly, and grey, and strong – with these green and silver canopies held up by twisted limbs – most were pruned pretty short – this was a working olive grove next to a family vineyard, been in the family for generations. Y’know, grape vines, a vineyard, takes a lot of work. The vines are finicky and fickle, you might say…I worked at a pinot winery once…grapes take a lot of care, and worry…you fret about them constantly. But out here, in this olive grove, the trees scrape by pretty much on their own. And these trees, as old as they are, still bore fruit and were harvested in the fall. Y’know I don’t remember the wine the winery sold. I’m sure it was good. But wandering around these olive trees, the trunks spiraling kinda out of this… green carpet of grass and clover running around, and yellow buttercup flowers sprouting here and there. The wine, I don’t remember much – the olive trees are what I remember most.
So today, if you hadn’t guessed, we’re going to talk about the fruit of these trees – olive oil. Liquid gold, I’ve heard it called. And specifically extra virgin olive oil…and what it can do for you…and your brain.
I saw this not long ago… researchers have found some interesting things about extra virgin olive oil and the aging brain that’s pretty cool.
So let’s get into it.
OK, so first — you’ve probably heard that olive oil is good for your heart. That’s not new. The Mediterranean diet, healthy fats, all that good stuff.
But here’s what IS new.
A team of researchers in Spain at the University of Southern Catalonia just published what they’re calling the first study of its kind in humans. The first one to specifically look at how olive oil affects the brain through the gut. Y’know, the gut-brain connection – you’ve heard of that I’m sure.
Now this particular study tracked over 650 people, ages 55 to 75, for two full years. They tracked what kind of olive oil these folks were using – and you’ll see why that’s important in a minute. And the researchers tracked the participants’ gut health, as well as their mental performance — things like memory, attention, and problem-solving.
OK, here’s the bottom line. The people who used extra virgin olive oil — not just any olive oil, but extra virgin olive oil — showed improvements in all three areas. Memory. Attention. And problem-solving. And again, this study went for two years.
Now the important distinction here is the type of olive oil that seemed to get the best results. Those who used refined olive oil? They didn’t show much improvement. In fact, get this, their gut health actually declined over time.
So there’s a difference in olive oils. And it comes down to what’s actually in the olive oil.
Here’s the deal with that.
Extra virgin olive oil is pressed from olives the old-fashioned way. Mechanically. No chemicals. No industrial heat treatments. It’s basically just…squeezed olives.
Now refined olive oil — which is a lot of what you see on grocery store shelves, especially the cheaper stuff — goes through industrial processing. And that strips out a lot of the good stuff. The antioxidants. The natural plant compounds – the uh, polyphenols.
And those polyphenols? Turns out they’re kind of a big deal for your brain.
Here’s how it works — When you consume extra virgin olive oil, those polyphenol compounds travel all the way down to your colon. And that’s where your gut bacteria converts them into stuff your body can actually use. Brain-protective compounds.
So it’s not just the olive oil doing the heavy lifting. It’s the olive oil working with your gut bacteria. It’s kind of a team effort there.
The researchers even identified a specific kind of gut bacteria — called Adlercreutzia – I think I said that about right – that seems to be the key player here. People who used extra virgin olive oil had more of it. And that bacteria accounted for about half of the brain benefit they were seeing.
Now, to be clear, this was an observational study. The researchers watched what people ate and tracked what happened. They didn’t control every single variable. There are always some limitations with studies like these.
And the researchers themselves say this study showed an association – not a guaranteed cause-and-effect. More research is coming I guess . So they’re not saying extra virgin olive oil is a cure for anything.
But here’s what’s important: This is the first human study of its kind. It was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal called Microbiome. It tracked over 650 people for two years. And like the lead researcher said in the study: “Not all olive oils have benefits for cognitive function.”
Not all olive oils. Quality matters.
Alright. So let’s talk about what you and I can actually do with this information.
Because that’s the whole point, right? We want to take care of our brains.
Alright, got some action steps for you – ready?
OK, action step number one: Check what’s in your cabinet.
Seriously. Next time you’re in your kitchen, look at your olive oil. Does it say “extra virgin”?
That’s what you want. Look for “extra virgin olive oil” on the label. If it says “pure olive oil” or just “olive oil” or “light olive oil” — that’s the refined stuff. That’s the one that showed less benefit in this study.
Now ok, extra virgin is usually a little more expensive. Not crazy expensive. But a little more. You’ve got to look at this as an investment in your brain. Which, at our age, paying a little bit more is probably smart.
Action step number two: Start using it.
You can sauté vegetables with it. Drizzle it on your salad – that’s my go-to with a drizzle of balsamic reduction…mmm-mmm. Or you can dip some crusty bread in it — yeah you can go full Italian grandma with it. Some experts suggest two to four tablespoons a day is a reasonable target. Not a huge amount. Just make it a regular part of how you eat. And if you’re thinking this is gonna send your cholesterol sky high, don’t worry, it won’t. Of all the edible plant oils, olive oil has the highest percentage of monounsaturated fat, which lowers the “bad” LDL cholesterol and increases the “good” HDL. The American Heart Association actually recommends EVOO as the staple fat for the Mediterranean diet to prevent cardiovascular disease. And bonus, extra virgin olive oil has some great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. But if you have concerns, as always, run it by your doctor first.
Ok so where were we? Yep, uh, Action step number three: Don’t cook with it on screaming high heat.
Extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point than refined oils. So high-heat frying with it won’t turn out great…I can personally attest to that. Stick with medium heat — sautéing, roasting — that’s its sweet spot.
And your action step number four: Keep your olive oil as fresh as possible.
Olive oil will go rancid on you. The antioxidants you’re buying it for actually degrade over time. So store it in a cool, dark spot. And just keep an eye on the bottle’s expiration date.
OK so here’s where I land on this.
We are at an age where taking care of our brains matters. A lot. We think about our knees, our blood pressure, our cholesterol. But the brain? That’s really the whole ballgame, isn’t it? Your memories live upstairs. Your personality. The you your kids and grandkids know and love.
And here’s the thing I keep coming back to with all this research — sometimes the fix is simple – almost too simple than we think it should be. But it’s not always about some miracle drug or complicated, or, protocol.
Sometimes it’s just…switch from seed oils or refined olive oil …and go with cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil most of the time. Simple as that.
You and your brain will be happy about that.
Alright, Silver Beasties. That’s a wrap for today.
Extra virgin olive oil. Heart health and brain health. All-in-one. Gotta love that.
Hey, thanks so much for hanging out with me today. I’ll see you next time right here on The Silver Beast Podcast. Take care of yourselves — and take care of those beautiful brains. EVOO is the way to go. See you next time!