title: Mediterranean Diet Effect: an Italian picture.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the overall diet quality effects, mainly on antioxidant nutritional status and some cytokines related to the cellular immune response as well as oxidative stress in a healthy Italian population group.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study was conducted on 131 healthy free-living subjects. Dietary intake was assessed by dietary diary. Standardised procedures were used to make anthropometric measurements. On blood samples (serum, plasma and whole blood) were evaluated: antioxidant status by vitamin A, vitamin E, carotenoids, vitamin C, uric acid, SH groups, SOD and GPx activities; lipid blood profile by total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides; total antioxidant capacity by FRAP and TRAP; the immune status by TNF-α, and IL-10 cytokines; the levels of malondialdehyde in the erythrocytes as marker of lipid peroxidation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The daily macronutrients intake (g/day) have shown a high lipids consumption and significant differences between the sexes with regard to daily micronutrients intake. On total sample mean Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) was 4.5 ± 1.6 and no significant differences between the sexes were present. A greater adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern increases the circulating plasma levels of carotenoids (lutein plus zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, α and β-carotene), vitamin A and vitamin E. The levels of endogenous antioxidants were also improved. We observed higher levels in anti-inflammatory effect cytokines (IL-10) in subjects with MDS ≥ 6, by contrast, subjects with MDS ≤ 3 show higher levels in sense of proinflammatory (TNF α P < 0.05). Lower levels of MDA were associated with MDS > 4. Our data suggest a protective role of vitamin A against chronic inflammatory conditions especially in subjects with the highest adherence to the Mediterranean-type dietary pattern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mediterranean dietary pattern is associated with significant amelioration of multiple risk factors, including a better cardiovascular risk profile, reduced oxidative stress and modulation of inflammation.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy. azzini@inran.it
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Azzini
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polito
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Intorre
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Venneria
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Durazzo
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaccaria
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ciarapica
authors.forename: Maria S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Foddai
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mauro
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raguzzini
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Palomba
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maiani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007558:Italy; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D009752:Nutritional Status; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D014280:Triglycerides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014815:Vitamins; D014801:Vitamin A; D016753:Interleukin-10; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002784:Cholesterol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
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