The postprandial inflammatory response after ingestion of heated oils in obese persons is reduced by the presence of phenol compounds.

SCOPE: Heating during the process of cooking alters the chemical properties of foods and may affect subsequent postprandial inflammation. We tested the effects of four meals rich in different oils subjected to heating on the postprandial inflammatory metabolism of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty obese participants received four breakfasts following a randomized crossover design, consisting of milk and muffins made with different oils (virgin olive oil (VOO), sunflower oil (SFO), and a mixture of seeds oil (SFO/canola oil) with added either dimethylpolysiloxane (SOD), or natural antioxidants from olive mill wastewater alperujo (phenols; SOP)), previously subjected to 20 heating cycles. Postprandial inflammatory status in PBMCs was assessed by the activation of nuclear NF-κB, the concentration in cytoplasm of the NF-κB inhibitor (IκB-α), the mRNA levels of NF-κB subunits and activators (p65, IKKß, and IKKα) and other inflammatory molecules (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, MIF, and JNK), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels. VOO and SOP breakfasts reduced NF-κB activation, increased IκB-α, and decreased LPS plasma concentration. SFO increased IKKα, IKKß, p65, IL-1b, IL-6, MIF, and JNK mRNA levels, and plasma LPS. CONCLUSION: Oils rich in phenols, whether natural (VOO) or artificially added (SOP), reduce postprandial inflammation, compared with seed oil (sunflower).

Olive oil and health: summary of the II international conference on olive oil and health consensus report, Jaén and Córdoba (Spain) 2008.

Olive oil (OO) is the most representative food of the traditional Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet). Increasing evidence suggests that monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) as a nutrient, OO as a food, and the MedDiet as a food pattern are associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. A MedDiet rich in OO and OO per se has been shown to improve cardiovascular risk factors, such as lipid profiles, blood pressure, postprandial hyperlipidemia, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and antithrombotic profiles. Some of these beneficial effects can be attributed to the OO minor components. Therefore, the definition of the MedDiet should include OO. Phenolic compounds in OO have shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, prevent lipoperoxidation, induce favorable changes of lipid profile, improve endothelial function, and disclose antithrombotic properties. Observational studies from Mediterranean cohorts have suggested that dietary MUFA may be protective against age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. Recent studies consistently support the concept that the OO-rich MedDiet is compatible with healthier aging and increased longevity. In countries where the population adheres to the MedDiet, such as Spain, Greece and Italy, and OO is the principal source of fat, rates of cancer incidence are lower than in northern European countries. Experimental and human cellular studies have provided new evidence on the potential protective effect of OO on cancer. Furthermore, results of case-control and cohort studies suggest that MUFA intake including OO is associated with a reduction in cancer risk (mainly breast, colorectal and prostate cancers).

International conference on the healthy effect of virgin olive oil.

1. Ageing represents a great concern in developed countries because the number of people involved and the pathologies related with it, like atherosclerosis, morbus Parkinson, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, cognitive decline, diabetes and cancer. 2. Epidemiological studies suggest that a Mediterranean diet (which is rich in virgin olive oil) decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease. 3. The Mediterranean diet, rich in virgin olive oil, improves the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as the lipoprotein profile, blood pressure, glucose metabolism and antithrombotic profile. Endothelial function, inflammation and oxidative stress are also positively modulated. Some of these effects are attributed to minor components of virgin olive oil. Therefore, the definition of the Mediterranean diet should include virgin olive oil. 4. Different observational studies conducted in humans have shown that the intake of monounsaturated fat may be protective against age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. 5. Microconstituents from virgin olive oil are bioavailable in humans and have shown antioxidant properties and capacity to improve endothelial function. Furthermore they are also able to modify the haemostasis, showing antithrombotic properties. 6. In countries where the populations fulfilled a typical Mediterranean diet, such as Spain, Greece and Italy, where virgin olive oil is the principal source of fat, cancer incidence rates are lower than in northern European countries. 7. The protective effect of virgin olive oil can be most important in the first decades of life, which suggests that the dietetic benefit of virgin olive oil intake should be initiated before puberty, and maintained through life. 8. The more recent studies consistently support that the Mediterranean diet, based in virgin olive oil, is compatible with a healthier ageing and increased longevity. However, despite the significant advances of the recent years, the final proof about the specific mechanisms and contributing role of the different components of virgin olive oil to its beneficial effects requires further investigations.

[The Mediterranean diet improves the profile of male smokers compared with the diet recommended by the American Cholesterol Program (NCEP-I)]. / La dieta mediterránea mejora el perfil lipídico en los varones fumadores en comparación con la dieta recomendada por el Programa Americano de Colesterol (NCEP-I).

BACKGROUND: A study of the effect of smokers' diets on their atherogenic lipidic profile. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 41 healthy males (32 non-smokers and 9 smokers) consumed consecutively a diet low in fat and rich in carbohydrates (28% total fat content < 10% saturated fats, and 57% carbohydrates), and a diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (38% total fat content with 22% monounsaturated fats). At the end of each dietary period, adhesion was confirmed by quantification of LDL cholesterol esters, plasma lipids and insulin levels. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the age or the body mass of the groups of smokers or non-smokers. After both diets tobacco was found to have a significant effect on triglyceride levels (p < 0.0007), HDLc (p < 0.007), apo A-I (p < 0.02) and the LDLc/HDLc ratio (p < 0.005), revealing an interaction between diet and both HDLc levels (p < 0.004) and LDLc/HDLc ratios (p < 0.003). With the low fat and high monounsaturated fatty acid content diets smokers presented higher triglyceride levels (both with p < 0.0002) and LDLc/HDLc ratios (p < 0.0002 and p < 0.05, respectively) and lower levels of apo A-I (p < 0.002 and p < 0.004, respectively). However, in smokers the HDLc levels were only reduced after the low fat diet (p < 0.0003) and after the diet with a high monounsaturated fat content there was a rise in HDLc levels (p < 0.02) and a drop in the LDLc/HDLc ratio (p < 0.005) compared to the group of non-smokers. There were no significant differences in the insulin levels between groups. CONCLUSION: The atherogenic lipidic profile of smokers is due to an effect of tobacco on the lipidic metabolism. This atherogenic profile is accentuated with a low fat diet rich in carbohydrates and can be rectified to some degree with a diet with a high monounsaturated fatty acid content.

Effects of different dietary cholesterol concentrations on lipoprotein plasma concentrations and on cholesterol efflux from Fu5AH cells.

BACKGROUND: The fatty acid composition of the diet can modulate the effect of dietary cholesterol on plasma lipoproteins. However, HDL composition and its capacity to promote cholesterol efflux can be influenced by the diet. OBJECTIVE: Modifications in plasma lipids and in the capacity of serum to stimulate the cholesterol efflux induced by a low-fat diet [National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Step I diet], by a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)-rich diet, and by addition of cholesterol to both diets was studied. DESIGN: Fifteen young, healthy men followed 2 NCEP Step I diets (<30% of fat as energy, with <10% saturated fat and 14% MUFAs) for 24 d, providing 0.027 or 0.068 mg cholesterol x kJ(-1) x d(-1), and 2 oleic acid-enriched diets (38% of energy as fat, with 24% MUFAs) providing the same amount of dietary cholesterol as the NCEP Step I diets. RESULTS: Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein (apo) B, and apo A-I concentrations decreased after the NCEP Step I and MUFA diets compared with the usual diet. HDL cholesterol also decreased after the NCEP Step I diet. Total:HDL cholesterol, apo B, and apo B:apo A-I were lower after the MUFA diets than after the NCEP Step I diets. There were no significant differences between the lipid profiles obtained after the NCEP Step I and MUFA diets were enriched with cholesterol. The capacity of serum to promote cholesterol efflux was significantly higher after the cholesterol-enriched NCEP Step I diet than after the NCEP Step I diet. CONCLUSIONS: The MUFA diet induced a better lipid profile than the NCEP Step I diet; however, the increase in the cholesterol content of both diets produced similar plasma lipid changes. The cholesterol in the NCEP Step I diet increased the cholesterol efflux induced by total serum.

Lipoprotein concentrations in normolipidemic males consuming oleic acid-rich diets from two different sources: olive oil and oleic acid-rich sunflower oil.

The effects on plasma lipid concentrations of two oleic acid-rich diets, prepared with two different plant oils--olive oil and sunflower oil high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs)-- were compared with a National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) I diet. Twenty-one healthy, normolipidemic, young males consumed an NCEP-I diet (30% of energy as fat) during a 25-d period. Subjects were then assigned to two 4-wk study periods, according to a randomized, crossover design. Group one was placed on an olive oil-enriched diet (40% fat, 22% MUFAs), followed by a 4-wk period of a sunflower oil-enriched diet (40% fat, 22% MUFAs). In group two, the order of the diets was reversed. Both MUFA dietary periods resulted in an increase in high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (7% for the olive oil diet and 4% for the sunflower oil diet) and in apolipoprotein (apo) A-I (9% for both) compared with the NCEP-I diet. Low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and apo B concentrations (x +/- SEM) were lower (P < 0.05) during the sunflower oil diet (2.40 +/- 0.11 mmol/L, 0.85 +/- 0.04 mg/L) than during the olive oil diet (2.64 +/- 0.15 mmol/L, 0.93 +/- 0.05 mg/L). No significant differences were observed in these variables between the sunflower oil and NCEP-I (2.48 +/- 0.13 mmol/L, 0.89 +/- 0.04 mg/L) diets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Effect of cyclosporine on plasma levels of uric acid in patients treated with bone marrow transplantation]. / Efecto de la ciclosporina sobre los niveles plasmáticos de ácido úrico en pacientes trasplantados de médula ósea.

In patients treated with cyclosporine, an increase in the incidence of goiter has been demonstrated. This agent produces changes in the lipidic metabolisms, among which the increase in VLDL stands put. Given that the hyperlipemia more frequently associated to hyperuricemia is the increase of such lipoprotein, we decided to study the behaviour of plasmatic uric acid in patients receiving treatment with cyclosporine. The study was conducted in patients with bone marrow transplant undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, considering the effect of cyclosporine as the only drug or following a scheme of mixed immunosuppression associated to prednisone. We observed a reversible increase in the plasmatic levels of uric acid in patients treated with cyclosporine, which was positively correlated to an increase in VLDL triglycerides. Hence, the cyclosporine produced an increase of uric acid which was neither observed when associated to prednisone nor in the group of self-transplanted patients.