Journal Article

Total and different types of olive oil consumption, gut microbiota, and cognitive function changes in older adults

Vidal, Josep, Toledo, Estefanía, Coltell, Oscar, Compañ-Gabucio, Laura, Hernando-Redondo, Javier, Ni, Jiaqi, Tinahones, Francisco J., Wang, Dong D., Salas-Salvadó, Jordi, Belzer, Clara, Vioque, Jesús, Corella, Dolores, Fitó, Montse, Moreno-Indias, Isabel, Nishi, Stephanie K., Babio, Nancy

2026

Overview

Background Over the past decade, emerging evidence has shed light on the role of the gut microbiota in the interface between diet and brain health. Olive oil, particularly virgin olive oil, a key component and major fat source in the Mediterranean diet, has exhibited widespread healthful benefits, including improvements in gut microbiota and cognitive health. Despite insights from preclinical studies into the relationship between virgin olive oil consumption, gut microbiota, and cognitive function, human research in this area remains limited. Therefore, our study aims to investigate the interplay between total olive oil consumption and its subtypes, gut microbiota, and changes in cognitive function in older adults who were cognitively healthy at baseline but at high risk of cognitive decline. Methods In this prospective cohort study, we assessed a total of 656 participants aged 55 to 75y (mean age 65.0 ± 4.9y, 47.9% women) with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome who provided stool samples and completed a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire at baseline and a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests at baseline and at a 2-y follow-up. Results Results from the multivariable linear regression models showed that higher consumption of virgin olive oil was associated with improved cognitive function over a 2-y follow-up, and a more diverse gut microbiota overall structure at baseline. Conversely, increased consumption of common olive oil is linked to lower alpha diversity of the microbial communities, and accelerated cognitive decline. Mediation analysis suggests that gut microbiota and particularly the Adlercreutzia , may serve as a mediator taxon in the association between virgin olive oil consumption and positive changes in general cognitive function. Conclusions Higher consumption of virgin olive oil was associated with cognitive preservation, possibly mediated by favorable alterations in gut microbiota composition. Our study provides novel insights into the complex interplay between different types of olive oil consumption, gut microbiota, and changes in cognitive function. These findings underscore the potential of microbiota-targeted dietary strategies to promote cognitive health in aging populations, though further high-quality and clinical cohort studies are required. DPFhB-m7M3fFKDUWwEQESz Video Abstract

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Aged / Aging / Analysis / Anthropometry / Batteries / Bioinformatics / Biological diversity / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Brain health / Brain research / Clinical trials / Cognition - drug effects / Cognitive ability / Cognitive function / Common olive oil / Diet / Diet, Mediterranean / Dietitians / Disease / Edible oils / Energy intake / Executive function / Exercise / Feces - microbiology / Female / Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects / Gut microbiota / Gut-brain axis / Humans / Intestinal microflora / Lifestyles / Male / Marketing research / Mediation / Medical Microbiology / Memory / Metabolic syndrome / Metabolic Syndrome - microbiology / Microbial Ecology / Microbial Genetics and Genomics / Microbiology / Microbiota / Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms) / Middle Aged / Neurodegeneration / Neuropsychology / Obesity / Olive oil / Olive Oil - administration & dosage / Polyphenols / Prospective Studies / Questionnaires / Regression analysis / Type 2 diabetes / Virgin olive oil / Virology