Researchers identify new substance in olive oil that reduces risk of Alzheimer's disease

chemical structure of oleocanthal (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"Amal Kaddoumi and colleagues note that Alzheimer's disease affects about 30 million people worldwide, but the prevalence is lower in Mediterranean countries. Scientists once attributed it to the high concentration of healthful monounsaturated fats in olive oil - consumed in large amounts in the Mediterranean diet. Newer research suggested that the actual protective agent might be a substance called oleocanthal, which has effects that protect nerve cells from the kind of damage that occurs in AD. "