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Dear Colleagues and Friends,
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Recent findings of a randomized clinical trial confirmed the benefits of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) for cardiometabolic health in secondary prevention for patients with established coronary heart disease. The intervention consisted in an intervention group assigned to a fat intake constituting 35% of the total energy intake, of which 22% consisted of monounsaturated fatty acids; the control group was assigned to a low fat diet defined as a 30% of fats from the total energy intake, with 12–14% originating from monounsaturated fatty acids. The MedDiet, compared to a low fat diet, was found to be superior in reducing the risk of the composite endpoint of myocardial infarction, revascularization, ischaemic stroke, peripheral artery disease and cardiovascular death. More specifically, the group assigned to the MedDiet saw a relative risk reduction of 25% for the composite outcome over a 7 year follow-up. The positive impact of the MedDiet on patients at high cardiovascular risk have echoed within the scientific community highlighting the key role of olive oil in the intervention. Therefore, EVOO might have been responsible for large parts of the observed benefits and therefore should be considered an indispensable component of the MedDiet.
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In an effort to explain the health benefits provided by EVOO Drehmer et al. conducted a comparative study between olive oil and corn oil on oxidative metabolism in rats. In rats fed with a liquid olive oil diet compared to corn oil, the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) increased in the liver and white fat tissue. Additionally, beneficial changes on several glucose metabolism parameters (pyruvate, lactate, LDH, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate) were reported for rats which received the olive oil diet. The findings add new evidence to the antioxidant mechanisms playing an important role as anti-inflammatory agents, and potential targets in treatment and prevention of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
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A large part of research on the MedDiet focuses on its use and benefits among adults and elderly in particular to reduce CVD, however adequate dietary practices are crucial at all stages of life. Findings of the MEDIDIET study identified potential benefits for newborns that are breastfed by mothers following a Meddiet. Women with a pronounced intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), analyzed as the ratio between MUFA and saturated fatty acids (SFA) and an elevated adherence to the MedDiet, produced breast milk with a lower content of unsaturated fatty acids. The role of MUFAs in infant development is crucial for its involvement in neural and visual development and maturation. As such, EVOO as a source of healthy MUF, through various mechanisms, has the potential to improve the health of the elderly, breastfeeding mothers and now, infants.
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