title: Plant-based diet, serum fatty acid profile, and free radicals in postmenopausal women: the diet and androgens (DIANA) randomized trial.
abstract: High calorie and fat consumption and the production of free radicals are two major mechanistic pathways between diet and disease. In this study we evaluated the effect of a plant-based diet poor in animal fat and rich in (n-3) fatty acids on fatty acids of serum phospholipids and on the production of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs). One hundred and four healthy female postmenopausal volunteers were recruited and randomized to a dietary intervention or a control group. Dietary intervention included a program of food education and biweekly common meals for 18 weeks. When the intervention and control groups were compared, it was seen that dietary intervention resulted in a significant reduction of saturated fatty acids (-1.5%) and a significant increase in (n-3) fatty acids (+20.6%), in particular docosahexaenoic acid (+24.8%). We observed that arachidonic acid decreased (-7.7%), while (n-6) fatty acids did not, and the (n-3)/(n-6) polyunsaturated ratio increased significantly (+24.1%). As expected, ROMs decreased significantly in the intervention group (-6%). The results indicated that a plant-based diet can improve the serum fatty acid profile and decrease ROMs production. These results suggest that a plant-based diet may reduce the body's exposure to oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Hormone Research Laboratory, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muti
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pala
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavalleri
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Venturelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Locardi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berrino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Secreto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D017698:Postmenopause; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005609:Free Radicals; D010743:Phospholipids; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid