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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
Two recent studies strengthen scientific evidence supporting the Mediterranean diet in preventing metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, both at the clinical and mechanistic levels.
The large PREDIMED-Plus randomized clinical trial followed more than 4700 Spanish adults with metabolic syndrome and overweight for six years. Participants who adopted an energy-restricted Mediterranean diet enriched in extra virgen olive oil, combined with physical activity and behavioral counseling, experienced a 31 % lower incidence of type 2 diabetes compared with those following a Mediterranean diet without calorie restriction. The intervention group also achieved greater weight loss and reductions in waist-circumference. This study demonstrates that combining a traditional Mediterranean pattern — rich in olive oil, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains — with caloric control and exercise enhances the well-known metabolic benefits of the diet. Extra virgen olive oil remains a central contributor through its monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and phenolic compounds.
Complementary mechanistic evidence comes from a short-term Mediterranean dietary intervention. In just four weeks, healthy adults who improved their adherence to the Mediterranean diet showed a significant decrease in plasma trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) —a gut microbiota–derived metabolite linked to cardiovascular risk. In men, the intervention also led to reductions in LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and body fat.
Together, these studies underscore that a Mediterranean diet centered on extra virgin olive oil not only prevents type 2 diabetes in the long term but also modulates metabolic and inflammatory pathways in the short term, offering a comprehensive strategy for cardiometabolic health promotion.
Other articles mentioned this week in the OHIS newsletter:
Olive fruit and olive oil
Chitosan-Olive Oil Oleogels for Food Applications: Physicochemical and Functional Properties.
Brain and mental health
Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health
Cancer
Aging, Frailty and Longevity
Other topics
Total Synthesis and Analysis of Phenolic Phytoprostanes, Oxidized Derivatives of Lipophenols.
