Does adherence to the Mediterranean diet modify the impact of smoking on health?

Objective. To document sex differences in the impact of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) on glucose/insulin homeostasis and to verify whether these sex-related effects were associated with changes in nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA).Methods. All foods were provided to 38 men and 32 premenopausal women (24–53 y) during 4 weeks. Variables were measured during a 180 min OGTT before and after the MedDiet.Results. A sex-by-time interaction for plasma insulin iAUC was found (men: −17.8%,P=0.02; women: +9.4%,P=0.63;Pfor sex-by-time interaction = 0.005). A sex-by-time interaction was also observed for insulin sensitivity (Cederholm index,P=0.03), for which only men experienced improvements (men: +8.1%,P=0.047; women: −5.9%,P=0.94). No sex difference was observed for glucose and C-peptide responses. Trends toward a decrease in NEFA AUC (P=0.06) and an increase in NEFA suppression rate (P=0.06) were noted, with no sex difference. Changes in NEFA were not associated with change in insulin sensitivity.Conclusions. Results suggest that the more favorable changes in glucose/insulin homeostasis observed in men compared to women in response to the MedDiet are not explained by sex differences in NEFA response. This clinical trial is registered with clinicaltrials.govNCT01293344.

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Self-Perceived Physical Activity and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Healthy Adolescents during COVID-19: Findings from the DIMENU Pilot Study

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9060622 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 622

Author(s):

Angelo Galluccio ◽

Giovanna Caparello ◽

Ennio Avolio ◽

Emanuele Manes ◽

Simona Ferraro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Wellness Programs ◽

Health Impact ◽

The Self ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Mediterranean Diet Adherence ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact

The global pandemic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resulted in restrictions which forced adolescents to stay at home and influenced their food habits and lifestyles with potential negative health impact. This study aims to investigate the self-reported physical activity (PA) and eating habits related to the consumption of Mediterranean foods in a sample of adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown enrolled into the DIMENU study. A web survey was launched for 91 adolescents (aged 15–17 years) to assess their adherence to the Mediterranean Diet using the KIDMED test and lifestyle habits using a questionnaire designed following recommendations by Italian National Institute of Health (ISS score). Our results indicate that most of the sample declared no changes in eating habits and PA without sex differences. After dividing the sample into active and sedentary groups based on the self-perceived PA, we found that KIDMED and ISS scores were significantly higher (p = 0.0028 and p = 0.0001, respectively) in active adolescents. Moreover, KIDMED was positively correlated with ISS only in active adolescents (r = 0.311, p = 0.0185). In conclusion, our data underline the impact of the PA on the Mediterranean diet adherence in adolescents during the lockdown, suggesting the usefulness of promoting wellness programs directed towards inactive individuals to increase their awareness on the importance of healthy lifestyles.

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Effects of Olive Oil on Blood Pressure: Epidemiological, Clinical, and Mechanistic Evidence

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12061548 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 1548 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marika Massaro ◽

Egeria Scoditti ◽

Maria Annunziata Carluccio ◽

Nadia Calabriso ◽

Giuseppe Santarpino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Olive Oil ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Lifestyle Changes ◽

Antihypertensive Medications ◽

Hypertensive Patients ◽

High Oleic ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact

The increasing access to antihypertensive medications has improved longevity and quality of life in hypertensive patients. Nevertheless, hypertension still remains a major risk factor for stroke and myocardial infarction, suggesting the need to implement management of pre- and hypertensive patients. In addition to antihypertensive medications, lifestyle changes, including healthier dietary patterns, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and the Mediterranean diet, have been shown to favorably affect blood pressure and are now recommended as integrative tools in hypertension management. An analysis of the effects of nutritional components of the Mediterranean diet(s) on blood pressure has therefore become mandatory. After a literature review of the impact of Mediterranean diet(s) on cardiovascular risk factors, we here analyze the effects of olive oil and its major components on blood pressure in healthy and cardiovascular disease individuals and examine underlying mechanisms of action. Both experimental and human studies agree in showing anti-hypertensive effects of olive oil. We conclude that due to its high oleic acid and antioxidant polyphenol content, the consumption of olive oil may be advised as the optimal fat choice in the management protocols for hypertension in both healthy and cardiovascular disease patients.

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From the Table to the Tumor: The Role of Mediterranean and Western Dietary Patterns in Shifting Microbial-Mediated Signaling to Impact Breast Cancer Risk

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11112565 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 2565 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Tiffany M. Newman ◽

Mara Z. Vitolins ◽

Katherine L. Cook

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Breast Cancer Risk ◽

Cancer Risk ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Western Diet ◽

Diet Pattern ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact

Diet is a modifiable component of lifestyle that could influence breast cancer development. The Mediterranean dietary pattern is considered one of the healthiest of all dietary patterns. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet protects against diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Reported consumption of a Mediterranean diet pattern was associated with lower breast cancer risk for women with all subtypes of breast cancer, and a Western diet pattern was associated with greater risk. In this review, we contrast the available epidemiological breast cancer data, comparing the impact of consuming a Mediterranean diet to the Western diet. Furthermore, we will review the preclinical data highlighting the anticancer molecular mechanism of Mediterranean diet consumption in both cancer prevention and therapeutic outcomes. Diet composition is a major constituent shaping the gut microbiome. Distinct patterns of gut microbiota composition are associated with the habitual consumption of animal fats, high-fiber diets, and vegetable-based diets. We will review the impact of Mediterranean diet on the gut microbiome and inflammation. Outside of the gut, we recently demonstrated that Mediterranean diet consumption led to distinct microbiota shifts in the mammary gland tissue, suggesting possible anticancer effects by diet on breast-specific microbiome. Taken together, these data support the anti-breast-cancer impact of Mediterranean diet consumption.

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Science and Healthy Meals in the World: Nutritional Epigenomics and Nutrigenetics of the Mediterranean Diet

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12061748 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 1748 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Fabio Caradonna ◽

Ornella Consiglio ◽

Claudio Luparello ◽

Carla Gentile

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Cooking Methods ◽

Intangible Cultural Heritage ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Positive Health ◽

Food Components ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact ◽

Scientific Topic

The Mediterranean Diet (MD), UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, has become a scientific topic of high interest due to its health benefits. The aim of this review is to pick up selected studies that report nutrigenomic or nutrigenetic data and recapitulate some of the biochemical/genomic/genetic aspects involved in the positive health effects of the MD. These include (i) the antioxidative potential of its constituents with protective effects against several diseases; (ii) the epigenetic and epigenomic effects exerted by food components, such as Indacaxanthin, Sulforaphane, and 3-Hydroxytyrosol among others, and their involvement in the modulation of miRNA expression; (iii) the existence of predisposing or protective human genotypes due to allelic diversities and the impact of the MD on disease risk. A part of the review is dedicated to the nutrigenomic effects of the main cooking methods used in the MD and also to a comparative analysis of the nutrigenomic properties of the MD and other diet regimens and non-MD-related aliments. Taking all the data into account, the traditional MD emerges as a diet with a high antioxidant and nutrigenomic modulation power, which is an example of the “Environment-Livings-Environment” relationship and an excellent patchwork of interconnected biological actions working toward human health.

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The Impact of the Mediterranean Diet on the Cognitive Functioning of Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Advances in Nutrition ◽

10.3945/an.117.015495 ◽

2017 ◽

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact

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Overview of Human Intervention Studies Evaluating the Impact of the Mediterranean Diet on Markers of DNA Damage

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11020391 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 391 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Cristian Del Bo' ◽

Mirko Marino ◽

Daniela Martini ◽

Massimiliano Tucci ◽

Salvatore Ciappellano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Damage ◽

Dna Repair ◽

Telomere Length ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Intervention Studies ◽

Human Intervention ◽

Repair Gene ◽

Dna Repair Gene ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is characterized by high consumption of fruits, vegetables, cereals, potatoes, poultry, beans, nuts, lean fish, dairy products, small quantities of red meat, moderate alcohol consumption, and olive oil. Most of these foods are rich sources of bioactive compounds which may play a role in the protection of oxidative stress including DNA damage. The present review provides a summary of the evidence deriving from human intervention studies aimed at evaluating the impact of Mediterranean diet on markers of DNA damage, DNA repair, and telomere length. The few results available show a general protective effect of MD alone, or in combination with bioactive-rich foods, on DNA damage. In particular, the studies reported a reduction in the levels of 8-hydroxy-2′–deoxyguanosine and a modulation of DNA repair gene expression and telomere length. In conclusion, despite the limited literature available, the results obtained seem to support the beneficial effects of MD dietary pattern in the protection against DNA damage susceptibility. However, further well-controlled interventions are desirable in order to confirm the results obtained and provide evidence-based conclusions.

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Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet in the Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases as the Epidemic of the 21st century

Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca ◽

10.15835/nbha4119137 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 41 (1) ◽

pp. 21 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Doina A. TODEA ◽

Loredana Elena ROSCA ◽

Andreea C. COMAN ◽

Iuliu SUATEAN ◽

Andreea C. HERESCU

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

21St Century ◽

Warning Signal ◽

Good Health ◽

Communicable Diseases ◽

Non Communicable Diseases ◽

Balanced Diet ◽

Food Pyramid ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact

Non-communicable diseases are known as the epidemic of the 21st century. In Romania, these are responsible for almost 91% of all the deaths. A balanced diet and regular physical activity (at least 30 minutes throughout the day) are the keys to a healthy and long living life. Mediterranean diet is shown to be the optimal diet for preventing non-communicable diseases and preserving good health. The concept of the Mediterranean diet is defined by the food pyramid, which is meant to provide an overall impression of healthy food choices, rather than to define recommended weights of certain foods or proportions of energy obtained from them. In Romania the concept of Mediterranean diet is unknown to most ordinary people. Even in medicine field there are few doctors who really know about this diet and its effects on patientsâ€™ health. Our purpose in writing this article was to draw a warning signal about the impact of Mediterranean diet on the health of people, in hope that through media, the importance of a healthy and active life in raising quality of life and decreasing morbidity and mortality can be fully understood.

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The Mediterranean diet reduces the genetic risk of chromosome 9p21 for myocardial infarction in an Asian population community cohort

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-54938-w ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hsin-Bang Leu ◽

Chia-Min Chung ◽

Jaw-Wen Chen ◽

Wen-Harn Pan

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Dietary Pattern ◽

Genetic Risk ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Snp Markers ◽

Rank Test ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Chinese Cohort ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe interaction of genetic susceptibility and dietary habits in cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains undetermined. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a Mediterranean dietary style modified the genetic risk of developing CVD in a Chinese cohort. A total of 2098 subjects with dietary information from a Chinese community cohort (CVDFACTS) were enrolled. Candidate genes, including SNP markers rs1333049 (CDKN2B, 9p21.3), rs17465637 (MIA3, 1q41) and rs501120 (CXCL12, 10q11.21), were genotyped to analyze the association with future CVD. The impact of dietary pattern was also analyzed according to adherence to the diet using the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS). After an average follow-up of 7.8 years, only the C risk allele of rs1333049 at chromosome 9p21.3 was associated with a higher risk of MI with either an additive [HR = 1.78, 95% CI:1.23–2.5] or a recessive model [HR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.42–4.04], and the CC genotype had a higher risk of developing MI (p = 0.009, log-rank test). There was no significant difference in the association of the lipid profile with future CV outcomes among the MDS tertiles. However, the high MI risk of the CC genotype in individuals consuming a less healthy diet (MDS1) (HR: 6.39, 95% CI: 1.74–23.43) significantly decreased to 2.38 (95% CI: 0.57–10.04) in individuals consuming a healthier diet (MDS3), indicating that a healthier dietary pattern (higher MDS) modified the risk of developing MI in carriers of variants in CDKN2B. In conclusion, genetic variants of CDKN2B at 9p21 were significantly associated with future MI risk in a Chinese cohort, and the genetic risk of MI could be modified by a healthier diet.

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