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The latest news from the OHIS
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Dear Colleagues and Friends,
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Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids which lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. Olive oil also has biological active compounds, such as phenolic compounds, with potent antioxidant effects that may reduce the risk of chronic diseases. These beneficial properties make olive oil a widely used dietary supplement. For example, Mohamed et al. included olive oil in a newly formulated functional instant soup mixtures as dietary supplements for elderly. The results observed in rats fed with the instant soup suggested the ability of these mixtures to prevent hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, while improving bone health. In the same line, in a two-arm parallel double blind randomized pilot trial olive oil was used as a placebo to compare Omega3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for the treatment of women with endometriosis-associated pain. The observed trend toward improvement in pelvic pain and quality of life scores in both treatment arms over the eight-week intervention pointed to a strong placebo effect attributed to the anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil, which contains oleocanthal which may act as a natural anti-inflammatory compound.
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Beyond its nutritional properties, olive oil is the main source of added fat in the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet has consistently demonstrated a wide array of beneficial effects on health, such as a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes mellitus, neoplastic disease, breast cancer, and overall mortality. However, in a recent longitudinal study from the Aging Study Amsterdam, the Mediterranean diet was not associated with 3-year changes in depressive symptoms among adults nor was it a confounder for the association between PCOS and asthma within a cross-sectional study of young women from the Asthma Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health.
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Lastly, in order to identify what attributes are predictors of poor adherence to Mediterranean diet, Buja et al. studied a number of socio-demographic, lifestyle, and behavioral factors in a sample of Italian primary school children. Children who played videogames and those whose mothers had lower levels of health consciousness were more likely to adhere poorly to the Mediterranean diet. Conversely, children who spent more time practicing sports, exhibited higher levels of prosocial behavior, and whose mothers had a higher education level had lower odds of poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
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Thanks!
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