By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, September 28, 2005, abstracted from “Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with total antioxidant capacity in healthy adults: the ATTICA study” in the September 2005 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Experts predict that 1 billion people will be over 65 years of age by 2020.1 With over 75 percent of this age group now dying from cardiovascular disease and cancer2 and two-thirds of all deaths in the U.S. associated with diet,3 we must look to our diet as a way to maintain our health and help keep us free of disease. One aspect of diet that needs close examination is our intake of antioxidants.
Research has found that antioxidants play a pivotal role in maintaining our health and preventing disease4 by helping slow down the cell-damaging process called oxidation.(5, 6) Now a new study7 has found that one way to increase our antioxidant intake is by following the Mediterranean diet.
The Mediterranean Diet (MD) has gained worldwide acclaim in recent years for the startling longevity of its followers.8 Characterized by high consumption of olive oil, fish, nuts and fruits and vegetables, the MD has become the benchmark diet for all age groups. Two previous studies have already found the MD to decrease mortality by 23 percent8 and decrease the risk of Metabolic Syndrome.9 This condition affects 1 in 4 Americans and is characterized by increased blood sugar, elevated fats in the blood, obesity, and elevated blood pressure.10
In the study, 1514 men and 1528 women from Greece aged 18–89 had their Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) measured along with their food consumption via a food-frequency questionnaire. The researchers assessed adherence to the Mediterranean diet on the basis of a diet score that incorporated the inherent characteristics of this diet mentioned earlier.
Researchers found that the participants with the highest scores (i.e. greater adherence to the Med. Diet) had, on average, 11% higher TAC levels than did the participants with the lowest scores (and least adherence to the Med. Diet). What’s more, the highest-scoring participants had 19% lower oxidized LDL-cholesterol concentrations than the lowest-scoring participants. Finally, the more olive oil, fruits and vegetables but the less red meat consumed, the higher the score.
For the researchers, “Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with elevated TAC levels and low oxidized LDL-cholesterol concentrations, which may explain the beneficial role of this diet on the cardiovascular system.”
Reference:
1 Population aging a public health challenge. World Health Organization Fact Sheet N135. Revised September 1998
2 “Keep Fit For Life: Meeting the Nutritional Needs of Older Persons. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2002
3 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The surgeon general's report on Nutrition and health. Washington DC: US Dept of Health and Human Services; 1988. DHHS (PHS) publication No. 88–50210
4 Tilak JC. Free radicals and antioxidants in human health: current status and future prospects. J Assoc Physicians India. 2004 Oct;52:794-804. Review
5 Smith MA. Advanced Maillard reaction end products, free radicals, and protein oxidation in Alzheimer's disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1994 Nov 17;738:447-54. Review
6 Valenzuela A. Cholesterol oxidation: health hazard and the role of antioxidants in prevention. Biol Res. 2003;36(3-4):291-302. Review
7 Pitsavos C. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with total antioxidant capacity in healthy adults: the ATTICA study Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, Sep 2005; 82: 694 – 699
8 Trichopoulou, A., et al., Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and survival in a Greek population. N Engl J Med, 2003. 348(26): p. 2599-608
9 Knoops, T., Mediterranean Diet, Lifestyle Factors, and 10-year Mortality in Elderly European Men and Women: The HALE Project. Jama, 2004. 292: p. 1433-1439
10 Esposito, K., Effect of a Mediterranean-Style Diet on Endothelial Dysfunction and Markers of Vascular Inflammation in the Metabolic Syndrome. Jama, 2004. 292: p. 1440-1446
11 Doelle, G.C., The clinical picture of metabolic syndrome. An update on this complex of conditions and risk factors. Postgrad Med, 2004. 116(1): p. 30-2, 35-8
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