This article aims to study the different dietary fat types associated with obesity and coronary indices. A sample of 491 healthy adults was included in a cross-sectional manner. Dietary fats intake, obesity indices (conicity index (CI), body adiposity index (BAI), abdominal volume index (AVI), body roundness index (BRI), and weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI)), and cardiovascular indices (cardiometabolic index (CMI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP)) were calculated and studied. Participants with an acceptable intake of omega-3 had a higher BRI score (1⋅90 ± 0⋅06 v. 1⋅70 ± 0⋅06). Participants with an unacceptable intake of cholesterol had a higher CI (1⋅31 ± 0⋅11 v. 1⋅28 ± 0⋅12; P = 0⋅011), AVI (20⋅24 ± 5⋅8 v. 18⋅33 ± 6⋅0; P < 0⋅001), BRI (2⋅00 ± 1⋅01 v. 1⋅70 ± 1⋅00; P = 0⋅003), WWI (11⋅00 ± 0⋅91 v. 10⋅80 ± 0⋅97; P = 0⋅032), and lower AIP (0⋅46 ± 0⋅33 v. 0⋅53 ± 0⋅33; P = 0⋅024). Total fat, saturated fat (SFA), and polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) intake had a significant moderate correlation with AVI and BRI. The monounsaturated fat (MUFA) intake had a significantly weak correlation with CI, AVI, BRI, WWI, and AIP. Cholesterol and omega-6 had weak correlations with all indices. Similar correlations were seen among male and female participants. The different types of fat intake significantly affected obesity and coronary indices, especially SFA and PUFA, as well as omega-3 and cholesterol. Gender and the dietary type of fat intake have a relationship to influence the indicators of both obesity and coronary indices.

Table olives, a product of olive tree (Olea europaea L.), is an important fermented product of the Mediterranean Diet. Agronomical factors, particularly the cultivar, the ripening stage and the processing method employed are the main factors influencing the nutritional and non-nutritional composition of table olives and their organoleptic properties. The important nutritional value of this product is due to its richness in monounsaturated fat (MUFA), mainly oleic acid, fibre and vitamin E together with the presence of several phytochemicals. Among these, hydroxytyrosol (HT) is the major phenolic compound present in all types of table olives. There is a scarcity of in vitro, in vivo and human studies of table olives. This review focused comprehensively on the nutrients and bioactive compound content as well as the health benefits assigned to table olives. The possible health benefits associated with their consumption are thought to be primarily related to effects of MUFA on cardiovascular health, the antioxidant (AO) capacity of vitamin E and its role in protecting the body from oxidative damage and the anti-inflammatory and AO activities of HT. The influence of multiple factors on composition of the end product and the potential innovation in the production of table olives through the reduction of its final salt content was also discussed.

Foods high in monounsaturated fat, such as olive oil, and endurance exercise are both known to independently reduce postprandial TAG concentrations. We examined the combined effects of exercise and dietary fat composition on postprandial TAG concentrations in nine healthy pre-menopausal females (age 26·8 (sd 3·3) years, BMI 22·3 (sd 2·0) kg/m2). Each participant completed four, 2 d trials in a randomised order: (1) butter–no exercise, (2) olive oil–no exercise, (3) butter–exercise, (4) olive oil–exercise. On day 1 of the exercise trials, participants walked or ran on a treadmill for 60 min. On the no-exercise trials, participants rested on day 1. On day 2 of each trial, participants rested and consumed an olive oil meal (saturated fat 15 % and unsaturated fat 85 %) or a butter meal (saturated fat 71 % and unsaturated fat 29 %) for breakfast. Venous blood samples were obtained in the fasted state and for 6 h postprandially on day 2. A significant main effect on physical activity (exercise or control) was obtained for plasma TAG concentration (three-way ANOVA, P = 0·043), and the total area under the concentration v. time curve for TAG was 26 % lower on the olive oil–exercise trial (4·40 (sd 0·40) mmol × 6 h/l) than the butter–no exercise trial (5·91 (sd 1·01) mmol × 6 h/l) (one-way ANOVA, P = 0·029). These findings suggest that the combination of exercise and a preference for monounsaturated dietary fat intake in the form of olive oil may be most beneficial for reducing postprandial TAG concentrations.

The objective of the present study was to compare the acute effect of meals of different composition on the expression of adhesion molecules that play a key role in leucocyte trafficking. A total of twenty apparently healthy subjects randomly consumed three isoenergetic meals 1 week apart: enriched in carbohydrates (CHO), enriched in monounsaturated fat and enriched in saturated fat. Blood samples were obtained before the meals and at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 h after meal ingestion. Samples were analysed for LDL resistance to Cu-mediated oxidation and for the surface expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of CD62L, CD162, CD11a, CD11b, CD49d and CD54 by flow cytometry. The present results showed that there were no changes in LDL susceptibility to oxidation within and among the meals. After the CHO-enriched meal, there was a time-dependent increased expression of CD162, CD49d, CD11a and CD54 on PBMC that returned to basal values after 8–10 h. These changes were significantly greater than the ones observed after the consumption of the monounsaturated fat- and the saturated fat-enriched meals and were more evident in lymphocytes than in monocytes. In conclusion, acute ingestion of a CHO-enriched meal induces higher increases of lymphocyte activation markers than fat-enriched meals. These results suggest that long-term consumption of CHO-enriched diets may be associated with a sustained pro-inflammatory state.

Frequent consumption of nuts lowers the risk of CHD. While lowering blood lipids is one of the mechanisms for cardioprotection, the present study sought to determine whether monounsaturated fat-rich almonds also influence other CHD risk factors such as inflammation and haemostasis. This was a randomised, controlled, crossover feeding study with twenty-five healthy adults (eleven men; fourteen women), age 22–53 years. Following a 2 week run-in phase (34 % energy from fat), subjects were assigned in random order to three diets for 4 weeks each: a heart-healthy control diet with no nuts ( < 30 % energy from fat), low-almond diet and high-almond diet (10 % or 20 % isoenergetic replacement of control diet with almonds, respectively). Serum E-selectin was significantly lower on the high-almond diet compared with the control diet. E-selectin decreased as the percentage of energy from almonds increased (P < 0·0001). C-reactive protein (CRP) was lower in both the almond diets compared with the control diet. A clear dose response was not observed for either E-selectin or CRP. There was no effect of diet on IL-6 or fibrinogen. Tissue plasminogen activator antigen was significantly lower on the control and high-almond diets compared with the low-almond diet, although the values were within normal range. In conclusion, consumption of almonds influenced a few but not all of the markers of inflammation and haemostasis. A clear dose response was not observed for any of the markers studied.

Dietary fatty acids (FA) are the major determinants of blood lipids, and measurements of plasma phospholipid FA (PL-FA) composition that reflect the dietary intake of FA may provide insights into the relationships between diet and CHD. We assessed CHD mortality associations with PL-FA (SFA, PUFA and MUFA) levels measured in a nested case–control study of 116 cases of CHD death and 239 controls that were frequency-matched for age and employment grade. The participants had plasma levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-cholesterol, apo B and apo A1, C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen recorded. SFA levels were significantly positively correlated with total cholesterol, LDL-C, apo B, CRP protein and fibrinogen. By contrast, phospholipid-PUFA were inversely associated with CRP, but not with any of the lipids. A higher SFA content (top v. bottom quarter) was associated with a 2-fold higher risk of CHD (OR and 95 % CI: OR 2·12; 95 % CI: 1·13, 3·99), and an equivalent difference in PUFA was associated with a halving in CHD risk (OR 0·49; 95 % CI: 0·26, 0·94), but MUFA was unrelated to CHD risk. These associations were substantially attenuated, after additional adjustment for lipids and inflammatory markers. Higher levels of saturated fat and lower levels of polyunsaturated fats were each associated with a higher risk of CHD in elderly men, and these associations were partly explained by their effects on blood lipids and biomarkers of inflammation.

The treatment of the metabolic syndrome aims to improve insulin sensitivity and correct/prevent the associated metabolic and cardiovascular abnormalities. Since many individuals with the metabolic syndrome are overweight, dietary treatment should be primarily focused on weight reduction. This approach can improve insulin sensitivity and exert beneficial effects on all the other abnormalities clustering in the syndrome. Insulin sensitivity can also be influenced by diet composition. In this respect, the specific effects of the quality of dietary fat are of great interest, given the considerable evidence in experimental animals that saturated fat in the diet may lead to insulin resistance. In man, there is indirect evidence that a higher saturated fat intake is associated with impaired insulin action. Human studies have also attempted to evaluate the relationship between total fat intake and insulin sensitivity. They are consistent in showing that fat intake is correlated with both plasma insulin values (positively) and insulin sensitivity (negatively). However, these correlations are largely mediated by body weight. Conversely, intervention studies are consistent in showing that when total fat intake is moderately increased (from 20 to 40 %), no major effect is observed on insulin sensitivity. We have recently undertaken a large, multicentre intervention study in 162 healthy individuals given either a high-saturated-fat or a high-monounsaturated-fat diet for 3 months. It shows that a high-monounsaturated-fat diet significantly improves insulin sensitivity compared to a high-saturated-fat diet. However, this beneficial effect of monounsaturated fat disappears when total fat intake exceeds 38 % of total energy. Independently of its effects on insulin sensitivity, diet composition can influence the factors clustering in the metabolic syndrome. Dietary carbohydrate increases blood glucose levels, particularly in the postprandial period, and consequently also insulin levels and plasma triglycerides. The detrimental effects of a high-carbohydrate diet on plasma glucose/insulin, triglyceride/HDL or fibrinolysis occur only when carbohydrate foods with a high glycaemic index are consumed, while they are abolished if the diet is based largely on fibre-rich, low-glycaemic-index foods. In conclusion, weight reduction is a powerful measure for the treatment of metabolic syndrome. Moreover, the diet for the treatment of the metabolic syndrome should be limited in the intake of saturated fat, while high fibre/low-glycaemic-index foods should be used without specific limitations. Moderate amounts of monounsaturated fat could be permitted as they do not induce detrimental metabolic effects.