Common £3 kitchen staple ‘slashes your risk of dying from dementia by 28%’

WE'RE all used to the phrase 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'.

And although it may not have the same ring to it, the same may be true for a teaspoon of olive oil.

A new study suggests incorporating the oil into your diet could help reduce the risk of dying from dementia.

Consuming more than half a tablespoon of olive oil per day is linked to a 28 per cent lower risk of dying from the condition, compared with those who never or rarely eat the oil, researchers say.

The research presented at also found people should be swapping the nation's favourite condiment for olive oil - which can be snapped up for a little as £3 in some high street supermarkets.

Replacing just one teaspoon of mayonnaise - and margarine - with the equivalent amount of olive oil per day was associated with an eight to 14 per cent lower risk of dying from the memory robbing disease, it said.

Dr Anne-Julie Tessier, of Harvard University, said :“Our study reinforces dietary guidelines recommending vegetable oils such as olive oil and suggests that these recommendations not only support heart health but potentially brain health, as well.

“Opting for olive oil, a natural product, instead of fats such as margarine and commercial mayonnaise is a safe choice and may reduce the risk of fatal dementia.”

Dementia is an umbrella term that covers a lot of different conditions which effect someone's ability to think of complete daily activities.

Around 900,000 Brits are currently living with condition, according to the .

Alzheimer’s, a progressive and fatal disease is the most common form of dementia.

The US research suggests that people who regularly use olive oil instead of processed or animal fats tend to have healthier diets overall.

However, Dr Anne-Julie noted that the relationship between olive oil and the risk of dying from dementia in this study was independent of overall diet quality.

She added that the research is observational and does not prove olive oil is the cause of the reduced risk of fatal dementia.

However, Professor David Curtis, UCL, said it was difficult to assess whether the research adds much to the understanding of links between diet, health and dementia risk, as it has not been peer-reviewed.

He added: “There are many, many differences between people who consume olive oil and those who do not and it is never possible to fully account for all possible confounding factors.

“Another point to bear in mind is that about half of dementia is caused by vascular disease so that anything which improved cardiovascular health, such as not smoking, would be expected to reduce dementia risk.

“It has been shown that olive oil consumption is associated with better cardiovascular health so one would expect that it would also be associated with lower dementia risk.”