Spanish scientists conducted a double-blind, randomized, crossover dietary intervention to study the effects of polyphenol-rich extra virgin olive oil in fighting hypertension in young women. For one 2-month period, the women consumed a diet including polyphenol-rich olive oil; after a 4-week washout, they switched to a diet including polyphenol-free olive oil. The polyphenol-rich olive oil decreased blood pressure, improved endothelial function and also reduced CRP, a marker of inflammation. [Extra-virgin olive oil is generally higher in polyphenols than regular olive oil.]
American Journal of Hypertension. 2012 Dec;25(12):1299-304. Moreno-Luna et al.
More than 15,500 Spanish university graduates taking part in the SUN project in Spain are assessed regularly for adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, while researchers follow their health. After 105,980 person-years of followup (about 6+ years for most subjects), this group has a mean age of about 38 years, and 125 of the subjects have died. Researchers determined that for each 2-point increase in the 0-point Med Diet Score, the risk of death dropped by 28%, leading them to conclude that adherence to the traditional Mediterranean Diet was associated with reduced risk of early death.
The Journal of Nutrition. 2012 September; 142(9):1672-8. [Martinez-González et al.]
At the Medical University of Warsaw, researchers participating in an international project investigating early-life factors that may prevent celiac disease in genetically-predisposed people found several factors that may be involved. Although evidence is still limited, the scientists advise avoiding both early (before 4 months) and late (after 7 months) introduction of gluten; it also seems that introducing gluten while the infant is still being breast-fed may be protective.
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2012 August 21. [Epub ahead of print] (Szajewska et al.)
Spanish researchers involved with the PREDIMED Trial wanted to determine whether a 14-item Mediterranean Diet assessment tool could be used as a quicker and less expensive alternative to a 137-item food frequency questionnaire in predicting obesity risk. They found that the 14-items, considered those most typical of a traditional Mediterranean Diet, did indeed correlate to various obesity markers. High consumption of nuts and low consumption of sweetened sodas were most strongly associated with reduced likelihood of obesity.
PloS One. 2012; 7(8):e43134. [Epub 2012 Aug 14] [Martinez-González et al.]
In the elderly, chronic low-grade inflammation can accelerate atherosclerosis. Scientists in Córdoba, Spain carried out a study to determine how dietary fats change the expression of genes involved with this kind of inflammation. In the study, twenty healthy elderly people followed three different diets for three weeks each: a Mediterranean Diet high in monounsaturated fat from virgin olive oil (VOO), a diet rich in saturated fat, and a low-fat, high-carb diet. They found that the diet featuring virgin olive oil reduced postprandial inflammation in cells.
British Journal of Nutrition. 2012 Aug;108(3):500-8. Camargo et al.
Spanish researchers seeking information on prevention of osteoporosis placed 127 elderly men on one of three different healthy diet plans – a Med Diet enriched with nuts, a Med Diet enriched with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or a control low-fat diet – for a period of two years. Two important markers of bone health increased significantly with the olive-oil enriched Med Diet, but not with the other two diets, suggesting positive effects on bone.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2012 August 1. [Epub ahead of print] [Fernández-Real et al.]
Commercially available sugar-sweetened beverages have not been traditionally consumed as part of the Costa Rican diet. Because of the rising obesity rates in Latin American countries, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health designed a study to determine the association between consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity in Hispanic adults in Costa Rica. The study involved more than 2000 adults and compared sugar-sweetened beverage consumption to BMI and skinfold thickness. Overall, higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with increased measures of adiposity and increased BMI in Costa Rican adults.
Public Health Nutrition, August 2012; 15(8): 1347-1354 (Rhee J et al.)
Starting a good diet early makes a difference in one’s later years. That’s the conclusion of researchers in Maastricht, the Netherlands. As part of the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longevity Study, they assessed the Mediterranean Diet adherence during adolescence and young adulthood, and compared this to arterial stiffness measured by ultrasonography at age 36. They found that the women (all were women) who followed the Med Diet most closely had the healthiest arteries, with the least evidence of stiffening.
Journal of Internal Medicine. 2012 July 19. [Epub ahead of print] [van de Laar et al]
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that women who regularly eat avocados, olive oil, and other monounsaturated fats were 3.4 times more likely to conceive a child when undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilization). After studying the fat intake of 147 women, they found that those consuming the most saturated fat produced fewer good eggs.
Preliminary results presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (Istanbul) – not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal. 2012 July.
Scientists in Kuopio, Finland, reviewed four-day food records of 1261 older adults (age 58-78) to see which dietary factors might correlate with impaired glucose regulation. They found that those eating more saturated fat were more likely to show measures of impaired blood-sugar management, while those eating more whole grain bread and more dietary fiber were less likely to have glucose management problems.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 2012; 66(7):819-24. [Epub March 14, 2012.] (Heikkilä et al.)
A group of scientists in Northern Ireland conducted a series of focus groups to explore the attitudes to and awareness of whole grains, perceived barriers and facilitators of whole grains consumption and feelings about how best to promote consumption. The focus groups were composed of those responsible for purchasing food in their household. They found that participants were generally aware of the term “whole grain” yet many barriers to consumption remained despite the increase in availability and promotion in the UK. Despite this it is noteworthy that after reading about health benefits, mothers of young children discussed introducing whole grains to their children in order to establish lifelong habits.
Public Health Nutrition. 2012; 16(4): 743-751. [Epub July 4, 2012] (McMackin et al.)
Researchers at the University of Guelph in Canada examined the glycemic impact of different commercial breads on twelve overweight and obese men at risk for diabetes. They fed the men five kinds of bread on different occasions — sprouted grain bread, 11-grain bread, 12-grain bread, sourdough bread and white bread — then measured glucose response. Sourdough bread and sprouted grain bread outperformed the other three breads in different measures of glycemic and metabolic response.
Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2012; 2012:184710. Mofidi et al.
