Share
The Olive Health Information System website
The newsletter of the University of Navarra and the IOC dedicated to health
Hypertension (HTN) is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases and causes of death globally, affecting over 30% of the population. Recent recommendations on HTN prevention and management include daily exercise and abstaining from tobacco, as well as a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), which, among other things, is characterized by an abundance of plant-based foods, lean protein sources and significant consumption of healthy fats (especially olive oil). In this context, a Greek study was conducted to examine the relationship between adherence to the MedDiet and the incidence of HTN. To carry this out, researchers gathered information from more than 1000 participants, including biochemical determinations (such as cholesterol, insulin resistance or triglycerides), anthropometric measurements and dietary habits. The data were collected at baseline and after 20 years of follow-up. After analyzing the data, the researchers found that participants with lower adherence to the MedDiet had a higher risk of having HTN, suggesting that the MedDiet could exert a protective effect against this disease.
The MedDiet could also be beneficial for menopausal women, as observed in this new systematic review. The evidence obtained from the 7 studies included in this review indicated that the benefits for women who followed MedDiet were not so much in terms of weight loss but rather in terms of biochemical markers. For example, improvements were observed in triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol, and ω6: ω3 ratio (all of which decreased). Reduced levels of C-reactive protein and nitric oxide (both markers of cardiovascular disease risk) as well as fasting glucose levels and in homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR), were also observed. Indirectly, The MedDiet could be associated with the prevention of the development of a number of diseases in specific populations, in this case, in menopausal women.
Click HERE to see the latest posts…
