Extra Virgin Olive Oil

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Learning and memory

In 2007 The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease published an animal study in which mice were given either extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil or butter for 6 weeks. Mice that received olive oil had improved levels of an important antioxidant in the brain – glutathione. The authors of the study concluded that extra virgin olive oil may have beneficial effects on learning and memory deficits in diseases related to brain aging. [Source]

In 2004 Clinical Nutrition published a study which found that 4-weeks of a diet enriched with virgin olive oil was helpful in reducing systolic blood pressure in 31 elderly subjects with hypertension. [Source]
In 2012 the American Journal of Hypertension published a double-blind, crossover study which found that 24 young women with early-stage hypertension had reduced blood pressure and improved endothelial function after 8 weeks of consuming a polyphenol-rich olive oil. [Source]

In 2008 Dermatitis published a 4-week, double-blind study comparing virgin coconut oil to virgin olive oil in 26 subjects affected by atopic dermatitis. While both oils were effective, virgin coconut oil showed greater efficacy in reducing Staphylococcus aureus – a bacteria present on the skin of individuals affected by atopic dermatitis. [Source]