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Dear Colleagues and Friends,
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Diet is recognized as a factor, which plays a pivotal role in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases related to ageing. In this week’s newsletter, two cross-sectional studies revealed that an unhealthy-inflammatory diet was associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome and lower bone mineral density in the older population. In this sense, the PREDIMED study provides first level evidence on how changing dietary habits, even in an older population with high cardiometabolic risk, can help achieve healthy ageing. Results showed that a nutritional intervention improved and maintained throughout a 3-year follow-up the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), mainly for their benefits on cardiovascular risk factors. One of the key components of MedDiet is olive oil. In the framework of the PREDIMED trial, a nested case-control study suggested that the MedDiet supplemented with EVOO could modify the tryptophan–kynurenine pathway, which is related to a higher risk of heart failure. In a similar attempt, investigators showed that a traditional Brazilian diet supplemented with EVOO promotes a significant reduction of inflammatory markers in individuals who had severe obesity. Many scientific reports have indicated the potential benefits of the EVOO are attributed to the higher poly(phenol) content and monounsaturated fatty acid profile. One review highlights the positive effects of the EVOO on modifying the gut microbiota and the function of the mucosal immune system. However, it is relevant to note that variations in the bioavailability of OO poly(phenol) and differences in gut microbiota could influence the biological activities of these bioactive compounds.
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A systematic review of RCT’s indicated that MedDiet could prevent or delay the effects of age-related cognitive decline. In the same line, researchers from the Rotterdam study found that the Mediterranean dietary pattern was associated with reduced risk of Parkinson disease (HR per SD 0.89; 95% CI: 0.74–1.07) during an average follow-up of 14.1 years. Additionally, in a large epidemiological data involving 49,261 women aged between 29-49 years old exhibited that moderate (HR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.81-1.00) to higher (HR: 0.82, 95%CI: 0.71-0.94) adherence to the MedDiet was related to lower risk of de depression. In childhood and adolescence, early-life diet, promoting the adherence to MedDiet pattern, seemed to be beneficial for cognitive development in addition to ameliorating obesity. Recently, it has been suggested that most of the cardiovascular benefits of the Mediterranean diet could be translated into benefits for cognitive function based on reports such as these. This promising association has been finding greater support mainly due to novel mechanisms that link inflammation or cardiovascular markers, and psychiatric diseases such as depression or neurodegenerative diseases. Much research is needed for us to understand these biological links, however diet remains a key determinant for these: the top causes of burden of disease world-wide.
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