Time to load up your pantry with liquid gold, folks! A recent study swallows down almost three decades of data on about 93,000 middle-aged, cardio disease-free individuals, and coughs up some brain-tingling results. The ones gulping down at least a teaspoon of olive oil daily were 28% less likely to shuffle off the mortal coil due to dementia-influenced factors.

"What's the catch?" you sneer, skeptically. "It’s the Halo Effect, right? Olive oil lovers are already high on health, salivating over arugula salads and plant-based stuff?" Well nope, not this time. According to Anne-Julie Tessier (PhD, RD), our lead study-wrangler, the dementia-defying benefits seem to squeeze out even if the rest of your diet leaves a lot to be desired.

Before you trash your brain meds though, let's not get ahead of ourselves. The study doesn't claim that olive oil is the magic potion warding off dementia or a guarantee of killing it off. But it does simmer up an interesting association. Philip Gorelick (MD, MPH), a brain-expert not involved in the study, ladles his input into the mix. He claims that olive oil might be the secret sauce to maintaining the well-being of our brain and systemic organs like the heart and vascular systems, thereby kneecapping dementia and the fatalities it’s notorious for.

So, next time you sauté your veggies or splash dressing on your salads, feel free to be a little generous with your liquid gold. But remember, olive oil might not be your get-out-of-jail-free card for poor dietary choices. Exchanging your mayo-laden, grease-fueled meals for olive-laden healthier alternatives still seems like the secret recipe to keeping dementia at bay, according to Penny Kris-Etherton (PhD, RD), an emeritus professor of nutritional sciences.