Olive Oil Rich Mediterranean Diet Helps Heart

It is old news that olive oil and a Mediterranean diet are related to a lesser risk of cardiovascular disease.
However, recent research provides a surprising reason why.
The Mediterranean diet foods change how genes associate with atherosclerosis function.
With the knowledge of which genes can be changed by diet healthily scientists can help individuals to select healthy diets .
These are the findings of the work conducted by the Cardiovascular Risk and Nutrition Research Group based at the Institut Municipal d’Investigacio Medica, Barcelona, Spain.
Scientists monitored the effects of diet on three groups of healthy volunteers. One group ate a traditional Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil high in polyphenols, the second stuck to a traditional Mediterranean diet with an olive oil low in polyphenols and the third group adhered to their normal diet.
Results showed a reduction of atherosclerosis-related genes in the blood cells of the first group.
In addition, the olive oil polyphenols significantly affected the expression of genetic changes affecting coronary heart disease
Results highlighted that the consumption of virgin olive oil in combination with a Mediterranean diet can positively impact lipid and DNA oxidation, insulin resistance, inflammation, carcinogenesis, and tumor suppression.