RESUMEN
Several polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered to have beneficial health effects, while saturated fatty acids and industrial trans fatty acids (TFAs) are linked to negative health consequences. Given the increased formation of TFAs during heating, many studies already investigated compositional changes in oils after prolonged heating or at extremely high temperatures. In contrast, our aim was to measure changes in fatty acid composition and in some health-related indices in edible oils after short-time heating that resembles the conventional household use. Potatoes were fried in palm, rapeseed, soybean, sunflower and extra virgin olive oils at 180 °C for 5 min, and samples were collected from fresh oils and after 1, 5 and 10 consecutive heating sequences. Regardless of the type of oil, the highest linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid values were measured in the fresh samples, whereas significantly lower values were detected in almost all samples following the heating sequences. In contrast, the lowest levels of TFAs were detected in the fresh oils, while their values significantly increased in almost all samples during heating. Indices of atherogenicity and thrombogenicity were also significantly higher in these oils after heating. The present data indicate that prolonged or repeated heating of vegetable oils should be avoided; however, the type of oil has a greater effect on the changes of health-related indices than the number of heating sequences.
RESUMEN
Plant-based diets are becoming more popular for many reasons, and epidemiological as well as clinical data also suggest that a well-balanced vegan diet can be adopted for the prevention, and in some cases, in the treatment of many diseases. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of the relationships between these diets and various conditions and their potential biochemical background. As whole plant foods are very rich in food-derived antioxidants and other phytochemicals, they have many positive physiological effects on different aspects of health. In the background of the beneficial health effects, several biochemical processes could stand, including the reduced formation of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) or decreased serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and altered signaling pathways such as mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). In addition, the composition of plant-based diets may play a role in preventing lipotoxicity, avoiding N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), and reducing foodborne endotoxin intake. In this article, we attempt to draw attention to the growing knowledge about these diets and provide starting points for further research.
