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The Mediterranean Diet, its Components, and Cardiovascular Disease
Open accessAbstract
One of the best-studied diets for cardiovascular health is the Mediterranean diet. This consists of fish, monounsaturated fats from olive oil, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes/nuts, and moderate alcohol consumption. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the burden, or even prevent the development, of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, depression, colorectal cancer, diabetes, obesity, asthma, erectile dysfunction, and cognitive decline. This diet is also known to improve surrogates of cardiovascular disease, such as waist-to-hip ratio, lipids, and markers of inflammation, as well as primary cardiovascular disease outcomes such as death and events in both observational and randomized controlled trial data. These enhancements easily rival those seen with more established tools used to fight cardiovascular disease such as aspirin, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and exercise. However, it is unclear if the Mediterranean diet offers cardiovascular disease benefit from its individual constituents or in aggregate. Furthermore, the potential benefit of the Mediterranean diet or its components is not yet validated by concrete cardiovascular disease endpoints in randomized trials or observational studies. This review will focus on the effects of the whole and parts of the Mediterranean diet with regard to both population-based and experimental data highlighting cardiovascular disease morbidity or mortality and cardiovascular disease surrogates when hard outcomes are not available. Our synthesis will highlight the potential for the Mediterranean diet to act as a key player in cardiovascular disease prevention, and attempt to identify certain aspects of the diet that are particularly beneficial for cardioprotection.
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“Specific dietary patterns, such as low-glycemic index (GI), Mediterranean, and ketogenic diets, have shown promise in improving insulin sensitivity and hormonal balance in PCOS [10–12].”
From Nutritional and herbal interventions for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): a comprehensive review of dietary approaches, macronutrient impact, and herbal medicine in management (2025) · cites this paper as [12]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
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“This diet, characterized by olive oil [63], abundant fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, and moderate wine consumption, is associated with a 25% reduction in overall mortality and significantly lower rates of cardiovascular diseases [64].”
From The Power of Environment: A Comprehensive Review of the Exposome's Role in Healthy Aging, Longevity, and Preventive Medicine-Lessons from Blue Zones and Cilento (2025) · cites this paper as [64]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
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“The Mediterranean diet is characterized by high intake of polyphenols and unsaturated fats, with most of the beneficial effects from this diet being attributed to the high polyphenol intake [6,7].”
From Polyphenol Microbial Metabolites Exhibit Gut and Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability and Protect Murine Microglia against LPS-Induced Inflammation (2019) · cites this paper as [7]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
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“Diets such as the Mediterranean diet or the DASH diet may further enhance these effects [257].”
From Dietary Nitrate-Rich Vegetables as Natural Modulators of Health: Mechanisms and Benefits in Ageing Populations (2026) · cites this paper as [257]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“Moreover, the MD consists of many components rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acid such as oleic acid, in olive oil, omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acid, such as alpha- linolenic acid in tree nuts, like walnuts, high amounts of flavonoids and antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables and high amounts of dietary fibers that have a great impact on the composition of gut microbiota—all considered to”
From Mediterranean Diet as an Antioxidant: The Impact on Metabolic Health and Overall Wellbeing (2021) · cites this paper as [12]
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3 retracted
RETRACTED: Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet
Estruch, R., Ros, E., Salas-Salvadó, J., Covas, M.-I., Corella, D., Arós, F., Gómez-Gracia, E., Ruiz-Gutiérrez, V., Fiol, M., Lapetra, J., et al. (2013) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmoa1200303 · Cited by 4,257 · cited 2×
“However, recent RCT data mentioned early in the review offer evidence that the Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts offers primary cardiovascular disease-prevention benefits.(21) Again, these benefits were seen in conjunction with the remainder of the Mediterranean diet, so ascribing the benefit solely to nuts wo…”
MethodResultRetractedEstruch, R., Ros, E., Salas-Salvadó, J., Covas, M.-I., Corella, D., Arós, F., Gómez-Gracia, E., Ruiz-Gutiérrez, V., Fiol, M., Lapetra, J., et al. (2018) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmc1806491 · Cited by 1,008
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“Estimates of lifestyle modifications such as the Mediterranean diet as a whole (106), fruits and vegetables (59, 61, 62), smoking cessation (103), moderate alcohol (105), omega-3 fatty acids (110), and improved physical activity (102) have substantial benefits for CVD prevention not seen with commonly used standard me…”
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3 of the 122 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
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“However, it is accepted that the Mediterranean dietary pattern includes moderate consumption of unsaturated fats, fish, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and low consumption of red meat and saturated fats [6] Its consumption is associated with multiple beneficial health outcomes, such as preventing cardio…”
BackgroundDecoding the Liver-Heart Axis in Cardiometabolic Diseases
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“Taken together, these results are supportive of the synergistic effect of the Mediterranean diet ’ s components (39,40) on weight loss maintenance, rather of the observed relationship being dependent on individual effects of single dietary constituents (29) .”
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“Research has also investigated the role of the individual components of the MedDiet and the relationship between these components and CVD-related diseases and risk factors [23,24].”
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“The Mediterranean diet is a dietary pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, olive oil, whole grains, and legumes, supplemented with moderate amounts of fish, dairy, and poultry, with less intake of red meat.(21) Previously, the Cooking for Health Optimization with Patients (CHOP) team has demonstrated that wh…”
BackgroundQuality of Life and a Surveillant Endocannabinoid System
Reis, R. A. D. M., Isaac, A. R., Freitas, H. R., de Almeida, M. M., Schuck, P. F., Ferreira, G. C., Andrade‐da‐Costa, B. L. D. S., & Trevenzoli, I. H. (2021) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2021.747229 · Cited by 63
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“More recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are proving to be potential endothelial dysfunction biomarkers and CVD predictors.”
BackgroundInfluentialMediterranean Diet and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): A Practical Approach
Pérez-Torres, A., Caverni-Muñoz, A., & González, E. (2022) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu15010097 · Cited by 58
“Details of the principal characteristics of Mediterranean dietary pattern can be found below [12,15,16]:”
BackgroundLiu, C., Lai, W., Zhao, M., Zhang, Y., & Yuanjia, H. (2023) · Antioxidants · doi:10.3390/antiox12091740 · Cited by 57
“In addition, this negative correlation was more significant among women aged 40-69, with low HDL-C levels, and who smoke.”
Coffee consumption and cardiometabolic health: a comprehensive review of the evidence
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Mediterranean diet and platelet-activating factor; a systematic review
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Association of Diet With Erectile Dysfunction Among Men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study
Bauer, S. R., Breyer, B. N., Stampfer, M. J., Rimm, E. B., Giovannucci, E. L., & Kenfield, S. A. (2020) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.21701 · Cited by 65
Wine: An Aspiring Agent in Promoting Longevity and Preventing Chronic Diseases
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“The Mediterranean diet, which involves high consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids, mostly from olive oil and nuts, balanced amounts of fish, fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals (Widmer et al., 2015), and small amounts of meat and dairy, has documented beneficial effects on obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovas…”
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“There is epidemiological evidence that demonstrates the protective role of diets rich in fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, unsaturated fats and fish on cancer and CVD [14,15].”
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“The MD is a predominantly plant-based diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, legumes, olive oils, and fish, characterized by a moderate intake of dairy products and a low consumption of animal fats [20].”
Halevas, E. G., Avgoulas, D. Ι., Katsipis, G., & Pantazaki, Α. A. (2022) · European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports · doi:10.1016/j.ejmcr.2022.100059 · Cited by 52
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“Other positive findings include improvement in cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia management [9], asthma, depression, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer [10].”
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“It is well established that healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet and the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet, may offer protection against the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases [77,78].”
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“The Mediterranean-style dietary pattern contains a number of foods similar to a Mediterranean diet which consists of fish, monounsaturated fats from olive oil, fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and nuts and moderate alcohol consumption [43].”
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Impact of Diet Composition on Insulin Resistance
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“Such a diet, predominantly plant-based, is characterized by a high consumption of extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, red wine, vegetables, and other polyphenol-rich elements, with a moderate consumption of fish, poultry, and eggs and a low consumption of red meat [20].”
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“However, numerous epidemiologic and clinical studies have shown that tree nuts and oily fruits are health-promoting foods, now considered essential components of a healthy diet and key food categories in the Mediterranean diet (Widmer et al. 2015).”
Ajjarapu, A. S., Hinkle, S. N., Li, M., Francis, E. C., & Zhang, C. (2019) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu11081877 · Cited by 52
“The omega-3 fatty acid content of the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fish, nuts, and olive oil, could improve kidney health through the high monounsaturated fatty acid to saturated fatty acid ratio, which has been associated with improved plasma lipid profiles and insulin resistance and reduced blood pressure [6…”
BackgroundCaponio, G. R., Wang, D. Q. ‐., Ciaula, A. D., Angelis, M. D., & Portincasa, P. (2020) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms22010227 · Cited by 52
“If other diets are enriched with nutrients typical of the Mediterranean diet, they can also be considered “healthy” (“prudent”) [50].”
BackgroundFeeding the gut microbiome: impact on multiple sclerosis
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“MD could potentially modulate the chronic inflammatory state (128), have an impact on the gut microbiome (129), and prevent vascular comorbidities (123).”
BackgroundKanellopoulou, A., Giannakopoulou, S., Notara, V., Αntonogeorgos, G., Gil, A. P. R., Κornilaki, E. N., Konstantinou, E. C., Lagiou, A., & Panagiotakos, D. B. (2020) · Nutrition and Health · doi:10.1177/0260106020952600 · Cited by 48
“the main added lipid is monounsaturated fat from olive oil (Widmer et al., 2015), and has been related to various”
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“A high prevalence of MetS is a significant factor that triggers cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) [7].”
BackgroundEnriching the Mediterranean diet could nourish the brain more effectively
Picone, P., Girgenti, A., Buttacavoli, M., & Nuzzo, D. (2024) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1489489 · Cited by 50
“Indeed, the role of nutrition and in particular the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular events is well documented (34, 35) and a protective effect on brain disease should also be expected.”
Neelakantan, N., Naidoo, N., Koh, W., Yuan, J., & van Dam, R. M. (2016) · Journal of Nutrition · doi:10.3945/jn.116.231605 · Cited by 47
“diet (6, 8, 12), the Healthy Eating Index (10, 13, 14), and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)(11)–2010 (15).”
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Gündoğdu, A., & Nalbantoğlu, Ö. U. (2023) · Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.nut.2023.112118 · Cited by 45
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“…fats, such as fish; unsaturated fats, such as olive oil; fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, garlic, and green leafy vegetables; whole grain foods that are high in fiber, such as whole wheat, barley, and oats; and nuts and legumes, such as peanuts, almonds, sesame and flaxseeds [5].”
Childhood socioeconomic status and lifetime health behaviors: The Young Finns Study
Puolakka, E., Pahkala, K., Laitinen, T. T., Magnussen, C. G., Hutri‐Kähönen, N., Männistö, S., Pälve, K. S., Tammelin, T., Tossavainen, P. H., Jokinen, E. V., et al. (2018) · International Journal of Cardiology · doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2018.01.088 · Cited by 45
Zambrano, A. K., Cadena-Ullauri, S., Ruiz‐Pozo, V. A., Tamayo‐Trujillo, R., Paz‐Cruz, E., Guevara‐Ramírez, P., Frías-Toral, E., & Simancas‐Racines, D. (2024) · Journal of Translational Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12967-024-05175-x · Cited by 45
“Among the fundamental components of the Med-Diet are fruits and vegetables [76].”
BackgroundBassani, B., Rossi, T., Stefano, D. D., Pizzichini, D., Corradino, P., Macrì, N., Noonan, D. M., Albini, A., & Bruno, A. (2016) · Journal of Functional Foods · doi:10.1016/j.jff.2016.09.009 · Cited by 42
Ufnal, M., & Nowiński, A. (2019) · Medical Hypotheses · doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109271 · Cited by 41
“thought to be a beneficial for human health [70,71].”
BackgroundRoswall, N., Sandin, S., Scragg, R. K. R., Löf, M., Skeie, G., Olsen, A., Adami, H., & Weiderpass, E. (2015) · Journal of Internal Medicine · doi:10.1111/joim.12378 · Cited by 41
Farrés-Cebrián, M., Seró, R., Saurina, J., & Núñez, Ó. (2016) · Separations · doi:10.3390/separations3040033 · Cited by 41
“also other chronic diseases, and today has become a standard for healthy eating and a dietary template of particular value [4].”
BackgroundAnwar, M. A., Samaha, A., Baydoun, S. A., Iratni, R., & Eid, A. H. (2018) · Frontiers in Pharmacology · doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00688 · Cited by 40
Iron Reshapes the Gut Microbiome and Host Metabolism
Botta, A. M., Barra, N. G., Lam, N. H., Chow, S., Pantopoulos, K., Schertzer, J. D., & Sweeney, G. (2021) · Journal of Lipid and Atherosclerosis · doi:10.12997/jla.2021.10.2.160 · Cited by 44
Management of traditional risk factors for the development and progression of chronic kidney disease
Lo, R. H., Narasaki, Y., Lei, S., & Rhee, C. M. (2023) · Clinical Kidney Journal · doi:10.1093/ckj/sfad101 · Cited by 40
“…fish, which are key components of the Mediterranean diet, bear healthier types of dietary fat (i.e. high mono-and poly-unsaturated fatty acid and lower saturated fat content), which could improve kidney health through improving plasma lipid profiles,insulin resistance,and high blood pressure [113].”
BackgroundDietary Patterns and Cognitive Function among Older Community-Dwelling Adults
Richard, E., Laughlin, G. A., Kritz‐Silverstein, D. C., Reas, E. T., Barrett-Connor, E. L., & McEvoy, L. K. (2018) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu10081088 · Cited by 40
“The MeDi has been shown to have anti-inflammatory [43] and anti-oxidant effects [44] and is associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension [45,46] both of which may contribute to cognitive decline.”
Quetglas‐Llabrés, M. M., Monserrat-Mesquida, M., Bouzas, C., Gómez, C., Mateos, D., Ripoll‐Vera, T., Tur, J. A., & Sureda, A. (2022) · Antioxidants · doi:10.3390/antiox11050901 · Cited by 42
“In this sense, the protective role of the MDP derives from the high presence of bioactive compounds such as antioxidants, healthy fatty acids, fibre, and phytosterols mainly found in vegetables, fruits, legumes, virgin olive oil, fish, nuts, red wine, and probiotics derived from fermented foods [9,10].”
BackgroundPark, Y.-M., Steck, S. E., Fung, T. T., Zhang, J., Hazlett, L. J., Han, K., & Merchant, A. T. (2016) · International Journal of Obesity · doi:10.1038/ijo.2016.114 · Cited by 40
Ruiz-Cabello, P., Coll‐Risco, I., Acosta‐Manzano, P., Borges‐Cosic, M., Gallo-Vallejo, F. J., Aranda, P., López-Jurado, M., & Aparicio, V. A. (2016) · Nutrition Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases · doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2016.10.008 · Cited by 42
Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Tendency to Orthorexia Nervosa in Professional Athletes
Martinović, D., Tokić, D., Martinovic, L., Vilović, M., Vrdoljak, J., Kumrić, M., Bukić, J., Kurir, T. T., Tavra, M., & Božić, J. (2022) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu14020237 · Cited by 39
Food Intolerances, Food Allergies and IBS: Lights and Shadows
Pasta, A., Formisano, E., Calabrese, F., Torres, M. C. P., Bodini, G., Marabotto, E., Pisciotta, L., Giannini, E. G., & Furnari, M. (2024) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu16020265 · Cited by 44
“This diet, rich in heart-healthy fats, antioxidants, and fiber, has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes [156].”
BackgroundAyesh, H., Nasser, S. A., Ferdinand, K. C., & Leon, B. G. C. (2025) · Circulation Research · doi:10.1161/circresaha.124.325535 · Cited by 42
“61,62 Similarly, the Paleolithic diet, comprising vegetables, fruit, nuts, fish, meat, and eggs and excluding dairy, grain-based foods, legumes, extra sugar, and nutritional products of industry (including refined fats and refined carbohydrates), has demonstrated benefits in weight loss and…”
Bulaj, G. W., Ahern, M., Kuhn, A. K., Judkins, Z., Bowen, R. C., & Chen, Y. (2016) · Current Clinical Pharmacology · doi:10.2174/1574884711666160603012237 · Cited by 41
“For CVD, a meta-analysis value was used.”
BackgroundInfluentialDASH and Mediterranean Diets as Nutritional Interventions for CKD Patients
Gallieni, M. A., & Cupisti, A. (2016) · American Journal of Kidney Diseases · doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2016.09.001 · Cited by 39
Mische, L., & Mowry, E. M. (2018) · Current Treatment Options in Neurology · doi:10.1007/s11940-018-0494-5 · Cited by 40
“The Mediterranean diet generally is known to include high consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and fish with reduced consumption of red meats, saturated fats, poultry, and dairy [23].”
BackgroundPiacentinu Ennese PDO Cheese as Reservoir of Promising Probiotic Bacteria
Pino, A., Russo, N., Hoorde, K. V., Angelis, M. D., Sferrazzo, G., Randazzo, C. L., & Caggia, C. (2019) · Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms7080254 · Cited by 40
Dietary Habits and Gut Microbiota in Healthy Adults: Focusing on the Right Diet. A Systematic Review
Gibiino, G., Siena, M. D., Sbrancia, M., Binda, C., Sambri, V., Gasbarrini, A., & Fabbri, C. (2021) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms22136728 · Cited by 40
“Mediterranean and vegan diet, rich in protective foods and beneficial substances, exert an anti-inflammatory effect [15] on our organism.”
BackgroundBioactive food components for colorectal cancer prevention and treatment: A good match
Amintas, S., Dupin, C. L., Boutin, J., Beaumont, P., Moreau‐Gaudry, F., Bedel, A., Krisa, S., Vendrely, V., & Dabernat, S. (2022) · Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition · doi:10.1080/10408398.2022.2036095 · Cited by 39
Is Mediterranean diet associated with multiple sclerosis related symptoms and fatigue severity?
Öztürk, Y. E., Helvaci, E. M., Kaya, P. S., & Terzi, M. (2022) · Nutritional Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/1028415x.2022.2034241 · Cited by 41
“It also contains anti-inflammatory components, such as mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber and polyphenols [4].”
Backgroundde Carvalho, G. B., Dias-Vasconcelos, N. L., Santos, R. K. F., Brandão-Lima, P. N., da Silva, D. G., & Pires, L. V. (2020) · Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition · doi:10.1080/10408398.2019.1624498 · Cited by 38
Managing Cardiovascular Risk Factors without Medications: What is the Evidence?
Saha, S. P., Banks, M. A., & Whayne, T. F. (2020) · Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents in Medicinal Chemistry · doi:10.2174/1871525718666200518093418 · Cited by 40
Savini, I., Gasperi, V., & Catani, M. V. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-19821-7_6 · Cited by 40
Turner‐McGrievy, G. M., Wirth, M. D., Hill, K. L., Dear, E. R., & Hébert, J. R. (2020) · Clinical Nutrition ESPEN · doi:10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.10.017 · Cited by 39
Szmidt, M. K., Granda, D., Madej, D., Sicinska, E., & Kałuża, J. (2023) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu15092131 · Cited by 43
San-Cristóbal, R., Navas‐Carretero, S., Livingstone, K. M., Celis-Morales, C. A., Macready, A. L., Fallaize, R., O’Donovan, C. B., Lambrinou, C. P., Moschonis, G., Marsaux, C. F. M., et al. (2017) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu9101107 · Cited by 38
“More specifically, MedDiet and some food components, such as olive oil and nuts, improve multiple metabolic biomarkers [11,19,20]—not only those related to body weight [21], but also to type-2 diabetes [22], hypertension [23], antioxidant status [24,25] and cancer [26].”
BackgroundÁlvarez‐Álvarez, I., Martínez‐González, M. Á., Sánchez‐Tainta, A., Corella, D., Díaz‐López, A., Fitó, M., Vioqué, J., Romaguera, D., Martínez, J. A., Wärnberǵ, J., et al. (2018) · Revista Española de Cardiología · doi:10.1016/j.recesp.2018.08.007 · Cited by 39
Scrivo, R., Perricone, C., Altobelli, A., Castellani, C., Tinti, L., Conti, F., & Valesini, G. (2019) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu11051013 · Cited by 36
Popular Diet Trends for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Claims and Evidence
Weber, A. T., Shah, N. D., Sauk, J. S., & Limketkai, B. N. (2019) · Current Treatment Options in Gastroenterology · doi:10.1007/s11938-019-00248-z · Cited by 39
Dietary inflammatory index, risk of incident hypertension, and effect modification from BMI
MacDonald, C., Laouali, N., Madika, A., Mancini, F. R., & Boutron‐Ruault, M. (2020) · Nutrition Journal · doi:10.1186/s12937-020-00577-1 · Cited by 34
Panbehkar‐Jouybari, M., Mollahosseini, M., Salehi‐Abargouei, A., Fallahzadeh, H., Mirzaei, M., & Hosseinzadeh, M. (2021) · BMC Endocrine Disorders · doi:10.1186/s12902-021-00856-w · Cited by 38
Personalizing Nutrition Strategies: Bridging Research and Public Health
Clemente‐Suárez, V. J., Peris-Ramos, H. C., Redondo-Flórez, L., Beltrán-Velasco, A. I., Martín-Rodríguez, A., David-Fernandez, S., Sepulveda, R. A. Y., & Tornero-Aguilera, J. F. (2024) · Journal of Personalized Medicine · doi:10.3390/jpm14030305 · Cited by 38
“This is the case of polyphenols such as flavonoids present in fruits and vegetables, which have shown the capability to enhance health status and decrease inflammatory processes by reducing oxidative damage [225,226], a fact which may be positive for diabetes and cardiovascular disease development.”
BackgroundReytor-González, C., Zambrano, A. K., Montalván, M., Frías-Toral, E., Simancas-Racines, A., & Simancas‐Racines, D. (2024) · Journal of Translational Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12967-024-05176-w · Cited by 38
Lepore, S. M., Morittu, V. M., Celano, M., Trimboli, F., Oliverio, M., Procopio, A., Loreto, C. D., Damante, G., Britti, D., Bulotta, S., et al. (2015) · International Journal of Endocrinology · doi:10.1155/2015/431453 · Cited by 35
Isakov, N. F., Kariv, R., Webb, M., Ivancovsky, D., Margalit, D., & Zelber‐Sagi, S. (2018) · World Journal of Gastroenterology · doi:10.3748/wjg.v24.i24.2617 · Cited by 37
Anti-diabesity middle eastern medicinal plants and their action mechanisms
Saad, B., Kmail, A., & Haq, S. Z. H. (2022) · Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1155/2022/2276094 · Cited by 42
Akbar, Z., Fituri, S., Ouagueni, A., Alalwani, J., Sukik, A., Al-Jayyousi, G. F., Bassil, M. S., & Tayyem, R. (2023) · Diabetes Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity · doi:10.2147/dmso.s427412 · Cited by 38
“19,20 These diets also limit red meats, sweets, sweetened beverages and processed foods that are often associated with the Western diet, and typically linked with chronic disease.”
BackgroundAttini, R., Leone, F., Montersino, B., Fassio, F., Minelli, F., Colla, L., Rossetti, M. M., Rollino, C., Alemanno, M. G., Barreca, A., et al. (2017) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu9070770 · Cited by 35
“Mediterranean and plant-based diets may have a role in preventing many of the ‘overeating’ diseases, including metabolic syndrome and obesity [53,54].”
BackgroundThe Mediterranean diet and its association with selected gut bacteria
Krznarić, Ž., Bender, D. V., & Meštrović, T. (2019) · Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care · doi:10.1097/mco.0000000000000587 · Cited by 36
Khalil, A., Fülöp, T., & Berrougui, H. (2020) · Antioxidants and Redox Signaling · doi:10.1089/ars.2019.7998 · Cited by 36
“The benefits of the Mediterranean diet are related to eating habits as a whole, including the overall macro-and micro-nutrient composition, preparation, variety, and fiber and very long chain x -3 fatty acid content of the foods (110).”
Mateus, A. R. S., Barros, S. C., Pena, A., & Sanches-Silva, A. T. (2021) · Molecules · doi:10.3390/molecules26195754 · Cited by 34
Abiri, B., Valizadeh, M., Nasreddine, L., & Hosseinpanah, F. (2022) · Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition · doi:10.1080/10408398.2021.2025036 · Cited by 37
The Gut in Heart Failure: Current Knowledge and Novel Frontiers
Gallo, A., Macerola, N., Favuzzi, A. M. R., Nicolazzi, M. A., Gasbarrini, A., & Montalto, M. (2022) · Medical Principles and Practice · doi:10.1159/000522284 · Cited by 36
“legumes, whole grains, and it has been associated with reduced mortality and lower risk of cardiovascular diseases [67].”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Widmer, R. J., Flammer, A. J., Lerman, L. O., & Lerman, A.
- Affiliations
- Mayo Clinic (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lerman, Amir
- Venue
- The American Journal of Medicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-03
- Volume
- 128
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 229-238
- ISSN
- 0002-9343 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4339461
- OpenAlex
- W2066595212
- Cited by
- 963
- References
- 122
- Citations by year
- 2026: 48 · 2025: 86 · 2024: 109 · 2023: 140 · 2022: 109 · 2021: 114 · 2020: 151 · 2019: 60 · 2018: 44 · 2017: 41 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 25
- FWCI
- 5.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The American Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (PASMP3_132551)
- National Institutes of Health (92954, 085307)
- Swiss Re Foundation
- Universität Zürich
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiovascular Health and Risk Factors
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Fatty Acid Research and Health
- Keywords
- Mediterranean diet, cardiovascular disease prevention, cardioprotection, olive oil, monounsaturated fatty acids, fish consumption, whole grains, Fabaceae, nuts, moderate drinking, cardiovascular risk factors, inflammatory markers, cardiovascular mortality, food components
- MeSH terms
- Cardiovascular Diseases, Humans, Metabolism, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Diet, Mediterranean, Observational Studies as Topic
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