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This week on the Olive Health Information System website
The newsletter of the University of Navarra and the IOC dedicated to health
The anti-inflammatory properties of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) are widely recognized and are partly attributed to the polyphenols found in olive oil. The aim of this study was to find out whether there is an association between systemic and gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation and dietary polyphenol consumption. To do this, researchers looked at the diets of 350 people, calculating their polyphenol intake and examining possible links between polyphenol intake and GI and systemic inflammation. They found that higher polyphenol intake, was associated with lower levels of GI inflammatory markers and other proteins related to GI permeability. The main sources of these polyphenols were fruits, tea, coffee and olive products, all of which are staples of the MedDiet. These results suggest that polyphenols may play a role in modulating GI and systemic inflammation, as the relationships between polyphenol consumption and inflammation varied depending on the amount, type and composition of polyphenols consumed.
Additionally, previous research has suggested that the MedDiet may also have a positive effect on mental health, particularly in relation to depression. In a recent study, researchers examined the incidence of depression and diet quality in a Spanish population of 3046 people. They pre-defined five different diet quality scores and analyzed which of them were significantly related to depressive symptoms and the risk and probability of depression. The results showed that the relative MedDiet (similar to the usual MedDiet) was significantly associated with fewer depressive symptoms, and participants who adhered more closely to it were less likely to suffer from depression compared to those following other diets. These findings suggest that dietary improvement may be an effective and accessible approach to preventing depression.
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