The Mediterranean diet has been shown in epidemiological trials to be associated with reduced risk of heart disease but there is less evidence to support the merits of the diet outside of the Mediterannean region.
A team from the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods at Laval University in Québec tested the typical Mediterranean diet on a group of 71 healthy women under free-living conditions.
The 12-week intervention involved two courses on nutrition and 7 individual sessions with a dietitian. A score based on the 11 components of the Mediterranean pyramid was established to determine the women’s adherence to the Mediterranean food pattern.
Among all women, levels of oxidized LDL particles circulating in the blood decreased by 11.3 per cent after 12 weeks of nutritional intervention despite a lack of change in plasma LDL cholesterol, report the researchers in the March issue of the Journal of Nutrition (135:410-415).
More specifically, increases in servings of fruits and vegetables were associated with decreased in LDL concentrations.
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