Olive Oil Polyphenols in Neurodegenerative Pathologies

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases lead to the death of nerve cells in the brain or the spinal cord. A wide range of diseases are included within the group of neurodegenerative disorders, with the most common ones being dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases. Millions of older people are suffering from such pathologies. The global increase of life expectancy unavoidably leads to a consequent increase in the number of people who will be at some degree affected by neurodegenerative-related diseases. At this moment, there is no effective therapy or treatment that can reverse the loss of neurons. A growing number of studies highlight the value of the consumption of medical foods, and in particular olive oil, as one of the most important components of the Mediterranean diet. A diet based on extra virgin olive oil seems to contribute toward the lowering of risk of age-related pathologies due to high phenol concentration. The link of a polyphenol found in extra virgin olive oil, namely, tyrosol, with the protein tyrosinase, associated to Parkinson’s disease is underlined as a paradigm of affiliation between polyphenols and neurodegenerative disorders.