title: Switching to a 10-day Mediterranean-style diet improves mood and cardiovascular function in a controlled crossover study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Even short-term adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet may benefit aspects of psychological functioning. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of switching to a 10-d Mediterranean-style diet on mood, cognition, and cardiovascular measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a crossover design, 24 women were randomly assigned to either the diet change (where they switched to a Mediterranean-style diet) or no diet change (normal diet) condition for 10 days before switching to the other condition for the same duration. Mood, cognition, and cardiovascular measures of blood pressure, blood flow velocity, and arterial stiffness were assessed at baseline and at the completion of the two diets (days 11 and 22).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Independent of whether the Mediterranean-style diet was undertaken before or after the crossover, it was associated with significantly elevated contentment and alertness, and significantly reduced confusion. Additionally, aspects of cognition, such as memory recall, improved significantly as a result of switching to the Mediterranean-style diet. Regarding cardiovascular measures, there was a significant reduction in augmentation pressure associated with the Mediterranean-style diet intervention, but blood flow velocity through the common carotid artery did not change.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This Mediterranean-style diet has the potential to enhance aspects of mood, cognition, and cardiovascular function in a young, healthy adult sample.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pase
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pipingas
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raubenheimer
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Madeline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thurgood
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Villalon
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Macpherson
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: Andrew@scholeylab.com.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scholey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy*; D003071:Cognition; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
keywords: Blood pressure; Cardiovascular; Cognition; Cognitive; Mediterranean diet; Mood; Randomized controlled trial