Research suggests that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial for cardiovascular system. One way that the diet may be of benefits to vascular health is its effect on the endothelial tissue through its anti-inflammatory, anti-coagluatory and vasodilatory effects. Through these mechanisms the Mediterranean diet may decrease endothelial damage and accelerate repair processes and thus prevent growth of atherosclerotic plaques. Microparticles are produced when cells become injured and these can be used as biomarkers to assess the damage to particular tissues. Endothelial microparticles (EMP) reflect the presence of endothelial injury caused by cytokines or oxidative stress In contrast, endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) may contribute to endothelial health by replacing damaged or injured cells. High levels of EMPs and low levels of EPCs are often found in individuals with metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, conditions that respond particularly well to the Mediterranean diet.
Researchers1 have investigated the effects of the Mediterranean diet on the formation of EMPs and EPCs in twenty healthy elderly subjects. Subjects were fed either a saturated fatty acid based diet, a low fat, high carbohydrate diet or the Mediterranean diet for 4 weeks each, in a cross-over designed study. The results showed that compared to the other two diets, the Mediterranean diet caused a reduction in the total number of microparticles, activated EMPs and apoptotic EMPs in the plasma, suggesting a decrease in damage to the vascular endothelium. In addition the Mediterranean diet caused an increase in EPC concentrations in plasma, suggesting that regeneration of damaged endothelial cells was occurring. Subjects consuming the Mediterranean diet also had higher plasma levels of β-carotene, lower superoxide dismutase activity, and lower urinary isoprostane and plasma nitrotyrosine concentrations, suggesting that oxidative stress had been reduced.
The Mediterranean diet is rich in green leafy vegetables, olives, olive oil, fruit and vegetables. Generally, the populations of the Mediterranean also have high intakes of red wine. All of these foods have been investigated for their nutritional effects, and have been found to possess potent antioxidant effects in vivo. The results from this study are consistent with a reduction in oxidative stress in the individuals consuming the Mediterranean diet, something that has been shown consistently in previous studies. The increase in EMP and the reduction in EPC concentrations in plasma suggest that the Mediterranean diet may be beneficial to the cardiovascular system because it protects the endothelial lining of the vasculature. The reduction in superoxide dismutase levels has previously been shown in rats fed olive oil, which suggests that olive oil may protect against the superoxide radical. These results suggest the saturated fat and cholesterol theory of cardiovascular disease is outdated.
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