Mediterranean diet and cardioprotection: the role of nitrite, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and polyphenols.

ABSTRACT: The continually increasing rate of myocardial infarction (MI) in the Western world at least partly can be explained by a poor diet lacking in green vegetables, fruits, and fish and enriched in food that contains saturated fat. In contrast, a number of epidemiologic studies provide strong evidence highlighting the cardioprotective benefits of the Mediterranean diet enriched in green vegetables, fruits, fish, and grape wine. Regular consumption of these products leads to an accumulation of nitrate/nitrite/NO, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and polyphenolic compounds, such as resveratrol, in the human body. Studies have confirmed that these constituents are bioactive exogenous mediators, which induce strong protection against MI. The aim of this review is to provide a critical, in-depth

SUBMITTER: Nadtochiy SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3117983 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul-Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature