Dietary Composition and Cardiovascular Risk: A Mediator or a Bystander?

Abstract

The role of nutrition in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease has long been debated. The established notion of the deleterious effects of fat is recently under question, with numerous studies demonstrating the benefits of low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets in terms of obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and metabolic derangement. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially n-3 PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids), are the types of fat that favor metabolic markers and are key components of the Mediterranean Diet, which is considered an ideal dietary pattern with great cardioprotective effects. Except for macronutrients, however, micronutrients like polyphenols, carotenoids, and vitamins act on molecular pathways that affect oxidative stress, endothelial function, and lipid and glucose homeostasis. In relation to these metabolic markers, the human gut microbiome is constantly revealed, with its composition being altered by even small dietary changes and different microbial populations being associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, thus becoming the target for potential new treatment interventions. This review aims to present the most recent data concerning different dietary patterns at both the macro- and micronutrient level and their association with atherosclerosis, obesity, and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Regulation of Postabsorptive and Postprandial Glucose Metabolism by Insulin-Dependent and Insulin-Independent Mechanisms: An Integrative Approach

“…Low glycemic index/load diets are associated with lower postprandial glucose and insulin responses [151,152,293,294]. Low carbohydrate diets have also been shown to improve the metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in obese individuals independently of weight loss [295].…”

Relationship of Anxiety, Inflammation, and Telomere Length in Postpartum Women: A Pilot Study

“…Dysphoric moods and stress are associated with poor health outcomes and negatively impact longevity (Russo et al, 2007;Slavich, 2016). Moreover, shortened telomere length (TL), a potential biomarker of senescence, has been shown to be associated with adverse events in a person's life such as stress, depression, childhood trauma, socioeconomic status, or conditions that produce oxidative stress and inflammation as well as genetic factors and heritability (Bell et al, 2019;Chander, Yadav, Jain, Bhadada, & Dhawan, 2018;Korakas, Dimitriadis, Raptis, & Lambadiari, 2018;Li, Hao, Fan, & Zhang, 2018;Pearce et al, 2018;Peng, Xiao, Hu, & Zhang, 2018). Telomeres are repetitive DNA hexamer tandem sequences of TTAGGG at the ends of chromosomes, which protect the chromosome from degrading (Wai, 2004).…”

The Relationship Between Nutrition and Atherosclerosis

“…Polyphenols are the most abundant antioxidants in the human diet and are usually found in fruits, vegetables, green tea, red wine, nuts, spices, and extra virgin olive oil. The most common polyphenols include resveratrol and flavonoids, the latter can divided into six subcategories: flavanols, flavonoids, flavanones, anthocyanins, flavonols, and isoflavones ( Korakas et al, 2018 ). We will focus on three types of polyphenols, polyphenol isoflavones, resveratrol, and flavonoid quercetin.…”