Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T18:03:35.509Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Ageing and the Mediterranean diet: a review of the role of dietary fats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Maurizio Battino  and
Maria Soledad Ferreiro
Maurizio Battino*
Affiliation:
Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Ranieri 65, I-60100, Ancona, Italy
Maria Soledad Ferreiro
Affiliation:
Institute of Infectious Diseases and Public Heath, Faculty of Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy
*
*Corresponding author: Email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the relationship between food and health. Concerns have been raised about dietary fats and their relative nutritional advantages or disadvantages. In investigations of the associations between health and fat intake, special emphasis has been placed on the benefits of virgin olive oil for counteracting certain neurodegenerative diseases and ageing. With respect to ageing, accumulating evidence indicates that an improvement in quality of life can be reached by modulation of the extrinsic factors that influence many ageing processes. Of the modifiable factors, nutrition appears to be one of the strongest elements known to influence the rate of ageing as well as the incidence of age-associated diseases such as atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative pathologies.

This paper reviews the theory of ageing and the role of fatty acids in the mechanisms affecting its evolution. It also confirms that virgin olive oil, an essential component of the Mediterranean diet, provides large amounts of stable and not easily oxidisable fatty acids as well as remarkable quantities of powerful antioxidant molecules.

Keywords

Oxidative stressFree radicalsAntioxidantsMitochondriaVirgin olive oil
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 7 , Issue 7 , October 2004 , pp. 953 - 958
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2004

References

1Massoro, EJ. Concepts and hypothesis of basic aging process. In: Yu, BP, ed. Free Radicals in Aging. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1993; 1–9.Google Scholar
2Battino, M, Bullon, P, Wilson, M, Newman, HN. Oxidative injury and inflammatory periodontal diseases: the challenge of anti-oxidants to free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Critical Reviews in Oral Biology and Medicine 1999; 10: 458–76.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3Battino, M, Ferreiro, MS, Gallardo, I, Newman, HN, Bullon, P. The antioxidant capacity of saliva. Journal of Clinical Periodontology 2002; 29: 189–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4Gaziano, JM. Dietary antioxidants and cardiovascular disease. Vitamins and Hormones 2000; 58: 299–320.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Niki, E. α-Tocopherol. In: Cadenas, E, Packer, L, eds, Handbook of Antioxidants. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1996; 3–25.Google Scholar
6Harman, D. Role of free radicals in aging and disease. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1992; 673: 126–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7Battino, M, Bertoli, E, Formiggini, G, Sassi, S, Gorini, A, Villa, RF, et al. Structural and functional aspects of the respiratory chain of synaptic and non synaptic mitochondria derived from selected brain regions. Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes 1991; 23: 345–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Battino, M, Gorini, A, Villa, RF, Genova, ML, Bovina, C, Sassi, S, et al. Coenzyme Q content in synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria from different brain regions in the ageing rat. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 1995; 78: 173–87.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Battino, M, Littarru, GP, Gorini, A, Villa, RF. Coenzyme Q, peroxidation and cytochrome oxidase features after Parkinson's-like disease by MPTP toxicity in intra-synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria from Macaca fascicularis cerebral cortex and hippocampus: action of dihydroergocriptine. Neurochemical Research 1996; 21: 1505–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Battino, M, Quiles, JL, Huertas, JR, Mataix, JF, Villa, RF, Gorini, A. Cerebral cortex synaptic heavy mitochondria may represent the oldest synaptic mitochondrial population: biochemical heterogeneity and effects of l -acetylcarnitine. Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes 2000; 32: 163–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11Battino, M, Ferreiro, MS, Littarru, GP, Quiles, JL, Ramirez-Tortosa, MC, Huertas, JR, et al. Structural damage induced by peroxidation may account for functional impairment of heavy synaptic mitochondria. Free Radical Research 2002; 36: 479–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12Yehuda, S, Rabinovitz, S, Carasso, RL, Mostofsky, DI. Fatty acid mixture counters stress changes in cortisol, cholesterol, and impair learning. International Journal of Neuroscience 2000; 101: 73–87.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Yehuda, S, Rabinovitz, S, Mostofsky, DI. Essential fatty acids are mediators of brain biochemistry and cognitive functions. Journal of Neuroscience Research 1999; 56: 565–70.3.0.CO;2-H>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14Yehuda, S, Rabinovitz, S, Mostofsky, DI. Modulation of learning and neuronal membrane composition in the rat by essential fatty acid preparation: time-course analysis. Neurochemical Research 1998; 23: 627–34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15Yehuda, S, Rabinovitz, S, Mostofsky, DI, Huberman, M, Sredni, B. Essential fatty acid preparation improves biochemical and cognitive functions in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis rat. European Journal of Pharmacology 1997; 328: 23–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16Solfrizzi, V, Panza, F, Torres, F, Mastroianni, F, Del Parigi, A, Venezia, A. High monounsaturated fatty acids intake protects against age-related cognitive decline. Neurology 1999; 52: 1563–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Landvik, SV, Diplock, AT, Packer, L. Efficacy of vitamin E in human health and disease. In: Cadenas, E, Packer, L, eds. Handbook of Antioxidants. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1996; 63–87.Google Scholar
18Grignaffini, P, Roma, P, Galli, C, Catapano, AL. Protection of low density lipoprotein from oxidation by 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylethanol. Lancet 1994; 343: 1296–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19Visioli, F, Bellom, G, Montedoro, GF, Galli, C. Low density lipoprotein oxidation is inhibited in vitro by olive oil constituents. Atherosclerosis 1995; 117: 25–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20Petroni, A, Blasevich, M, Salami, M, Papini, N, Montedoro, GF, Galli, C. Inhibition of platelet aggregation and eicosanoid production by phenolic components of olive oil. Thrombosis Research 1995; 78: 151–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21Mattson, FH, Grundy, SM. Comparison of effects of dietary saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids on plasma lipids and lipoproteins. Journal of Lipid Research 1985; 26: 194–202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22Giron, MD, Mataix, J, Suarez, MD. Changes in lipid composition and desaturase activity of duodenal mucosa induced by dietary fat. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1990; 1045: 69–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23Periago, JL, Suarez, MD, Pita, ML. Effect of dietary olive oil, corn oil, and medium-chain triglycerides on the lipid composition of rat red blood cell membranes. Journal of Nutrition 1990; 120: 986–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24Seiquer, I, Manas, M, Martinez-Victoria, E, Huertas, JR, Ballesta, MC, Mataix, FJ. Effects of adaptation to diets enriched with saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats on lipid and serum fatty acid levels in miniature swine (Sus scrofa). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 1994; 108A: 377–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25Huertas, JR, Battino, M, Lenaz, G, Mataix, FJ. Changes in mitochondrial and microsomal rat liver coenzyme Q9 and Q10 content induced by dietary fat and endogenous lipid peroxidation. FEBS Letters 1991; 287: 89–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26Huertas, JR, Battino, M, Mataix, FJ, Lenaz, G. Cytochrome oxidase induction after oxidative stress induced by adriamycin in liver of rats fed with dietary olive oil. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 1991; 181: 375–82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27Huertas, JR, Battino, M, Barzanti, V, Maranesi, MParenti-Castelli, G, Littarru, GP, et al. Mitochondrial and microsomal cholesterol mobilization after oxidative stress induced by adriamycin in rats fed with dietary olive and corn oil. Life Sciences 1992; 50: 2111–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28Quiles, JL, Huertas, JR, Manas, M, Battino, M, Cassinello, M, Littarru, GP, et al. Peroxidative extent and coenzyme Q levels in the rat: influence of physical training and dietary fats. Molecular Aspects of Medicine 1994; 15(Suppl.): s89–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29Barzanti, V, Battino, M, Baracca, A, Cavazzoni, M, Cocchi, M, Noble, R, et al. The effect of dietary lipid changes on the fatty acid composition and function of liver, heart and brain mitochondria in the rat at different ages. British Journal of Nutrition 1994; 71: 193–202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30Huertas, JR, Mataix, FJ, Manas, M, Bargossi, AM, Battino, M. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and peroxidative risks in sport practice. Alternatives. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 1994; 34: 101–8.Google ScholarPubMed
31Mataix, J, Manas, M, Quiles, J, Battino, M, Cassinello, M, Lopez-Frias, M, et al. Coenzyme Q content depends upon oxidative stress and dietary fat unsaturation. Molecular Aspects of Medicine 1997; 18(Suppl.): s129–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32Mataix, J, Quiles, JL, Huertas, JR, Battino, M, Manas, M. Tissue specific interactions of exercise, dietary fatty acids, and vitamin E in lipid peroxidation. Free Radical Biology & Medicine 1998; 24: 511–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33Quiles, JL, Huertas, JR, Manas, M, Battino, M, Ochoa, JJ, Mataix, J. Plasma antioxidants are strongly affected by iron-induced lipid peroxidation in rats subjected to physical exercise and different dietary fats. Biofactors 1998; 8: 119–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
34Quiles, JL, Huertas, JR, Manas, M, Battino, M, Mataix, J. Physical exercise affects the lipid profile of mitochondrial membranes in rats fed with virgin olive oil or sunflower oil. British Journal of Nutrition 1999; 81: 21–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
35Quiles, JL, Ramirez-Tortosa, MC, Huertas, JR, Ibanez, S, Gomez, JA, Battino, M, et al. Olive oil supplemented with vitamin E affects mitochondrial coenzyme Q levels in liver of rats after an oxidative stress induced by adriamycin. Biofactors 1999; 9: 331–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
36Quiles, JL, Huertas, JR, Manas, M, Ochoa, JJ, Battino, M, Mataix, J. Oxidative stress induced by exercise and dietary fat modulates the coenzyme Q and vitamin A balance between plasma and mitochondria. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 1999; 69: 243–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
37Quiles, JL, Huertas, JR, Manas, M, Ochoa, JJ, Battino, M, Mataix, J. Dietary fat type and regular exercise affect mitochondrial composition and function depending on specific tissue in the rat. Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes 2001; 33: 127–34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
38Battino, M, Quiles, JL, Huertas, JR, Ramirez-Tortosa, MC, Cassinello, M, Manas, M, et al. Feeding fried oil changes antioxidant and fatty acid pattern of rat and affects rat liver mitochondrial respiratory chain components. Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes 2002; 34: 127–34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39Quiles, JL, Battino, M, Huertas, JR, Ramirez-Tortosa, MC, Cassinello, M, Mañas, M, et al. The intake of fried virgin olive or sunflower oils differentially induces oxidative stress in rat liver microsomes. British Journal of Nutrition 2002; 88: 57–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
40Grundy, SM, Denke, MA. Dietary influences on serum lipids and lipoproteins. Journal of Lipid Research 1990; 31: 1149–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
41Mensik, RP, Katan, MB. Effect of a diet enriched with monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids on levels of low density and high density lipoprotein cholesterol in healthy women and men. New England Journal of Medicine 1989; 321: 436–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
42Parthasarathy, S, Khoo, JC, Miller, E, Barnett, J, Witztum, JL, Steinberg, D. Low density lipoprotein rich in oleic acid is protected against oxidative modification: implications for dietary prevention of atherosclerosis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 1990; 87: 3894–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
43 International Consensus Statement. Olive oil and the Mediterranean diet: implications for health in Europe. Meeting Convened by the European Commission at the Italian National Research CouncilRome11 April 1997.Google Scholar
44Witztum, JL, Steinberg, D. Role of oxidised low density lipoprotein in atherogenesis. Journal of Clinical Investigation 1991; 88: 1785–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
45Steinberg, D, Parthasarathy, S, Carew, TE, Khoo, JC, Witztum, JL. Beyond cholesterol. Modification of low density lipoprotein that increase its atherogenity. New England Journal of Medicine 1989; 320: 915–24.Google Scholar
46Svegliati Baroni, S, Amelio, M, Fiorito, A, Gaddi, A, Littarru, G, Battino, M. Monounsaturated diet lowers LDL oxidisability in type IIb and type IV dyslipidemia without affecting coenzyme Q10 and vitamin E contents. Biofactors 1999; 9: 325–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
47Baroni, SS, Amelio, M, Sangiorgi, Z, Gaddi, A, Battino, M. Solid monounsaturated diet lowers LDL unsaturation trait and oxidisability in hypercholesterolemic (type IIb) patients. Free Radical Research 1999; 30: 275–85.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed