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Dear Colleagues and Friends,
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Cultivation and applications
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Environmental contaminants
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Dietary patterns and health
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A new analysis of the randomized controlled "PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea-Plus" (PREDIMED-Plus) trial evaluated the efficacy of an intensive weight-loss intervention on renal function. Participants (overweight/obese adults with metabolic syndrome) were randomly assigned to either a lifestyle intervention with an energy-reduced MedDiet, physical activity promotion, and behavioral support or to a control group with usual-care MedDiet advice. After 1 year, incidence of moderately/severely impaired eGFR decreased 40% and remission of moderately to mildly impaired GFR was 92% higher in the intervention group. As a final message, researchers propose the MedDiet is a helpful tool to preserve renal function and to prevent further damage in patients with chronic kidney disease.
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The MedDiet is known for its multiple health benefits, however growing evidence also supports other dietary patterns with vegetables as their main source of nutrients. A systematic review of observational and intervention studies focused on compiling current evidence of various dietary patterns and their effect on oxidative stress and proinflammatory biomarkers. Across observational and intervention studies, an inverse association was found between plant-based diets - such as the MedDiet and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet - and oxidative stress and proinflammatory biomarkers, whereas Western and fast food diets had a positive association. Although other dietary patterns were included in the study, plant based dietary patterns have shown the most support for the prevention of oxidative stress related diseases.
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One of the stellar food items in the MedDiet is Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) due to its abundance in phenolic compounds (PCs), amongst others. These compounds are responsible for the antioxidant properties of EVOO, as they counteract cellular damage of the pancreatic beta-cells which oftentimes leads to type-2 diabetes. In this particular study, the effects of several PCs on beta-cell function and survival were investigated. After the isolation of human pancreatic beta-cell islets, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, and apigenin significantly increased beta-cell proliferation and insulin biosynthesis. Conversely, vanillic acid and vanillin had the opposite effect on beta-cells, as noted by a decrease in insulin secretion. Apigenin in particular, was the only compound that had both a positive effect on insulin biosynthesis and secretion, with no associated apoptotic effect on pancreatic beta-cells. Furthermore, apigenin was responsible for promoting intracellular signals that regulate beta-cell mass and function. These findings further evidenced the beneficial effects of the MedDiet through EVOO on pancreatic beta-cell health. In addition, apigenin was found to be a potent promoter of these benefits, although its distinct biological mechanisms are not fully understood.
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