Introduction:
(Eurekalert) BEER-SHEVA, Israel, April 17, 2023 – The green Mediterranean – high polyphenols diet substantially regresses proximal aortic stiffness (PAS), a marker of vascular aging and increased cardiovascular risk. The green Mediterranean diet was pitted against the healthy Mediterranean diet and a healthy guideline-recommended control diet in the DIRECT PLUS, a large-scale clinical intervention trial. Researchers found that the green Mediterranean diet regressed proximal aortic stiffness by 15%, the Mediterranean diet by 7.3%, and the healthy dietary guideline-directed diet by 4.8%.
The study was recently published in the top ranked journal in the field of Cardiology, JACC (Journal of the American College of Cardiology). This is the first time that scientists have presented a powerful, potent effect of diet on the age-related proximal aortic stiffness.
DIRECT PLUS was a large-scale, long term clinical trial over 18 months among 300 participants, which used MRIs to measure aortic stiffness, the most accurate noninvasive measure.
Aortic stiffness is a measure of the elasticity of the blood vessel wall, and it occurs when the elastic fibers within the arterial wall (elastin) begin to fray due to mechanical stress. Proximal aortic stiffness (PAS) reflects the aortic stiffness from the ascending to the proximal-descending thoracic aorta; the section of the aorta, the largest artery in the body that carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart. Proximal aortic stiffness is a distinct marker of vascular aging and an independent cardiovascular risk factor to predict morbidity and mortality.
The research was led by Prof. Iris Shai of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, an adjunct Professor from the Harvard School of Public Health and an honorary professor at the University of Leipzig, Germany, along with her PHD student Dr. Gal Tsaban, a cardiologist from Soroka University Medical Center, and colleagues from Harvard and Leipzig Universities.
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/986376
Source and more detail: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/p ... -they-are(Healthline)
What are polyphenols?
Polyphenols are a category of compounds naturally found in plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, tea, dark chocolate, and wine.
They can act as antioxidants, meaning they can neutralize harmful free radicals that would otherwise damage your cells and increase your risk of conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Polyphenols are also thought to reduce inflammation, which is thought to be the root cause of many chronic illnesses.
Types of polyphenols
More than 8,000 types of polyphenols have been identified. They can be further categorized into 4 main groups.
• Flavonoids…
• Phenolic acids...
• Polyphenolic amides...
• Other polyphenols...