HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dai, J. Articles by Vaccarino, V. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dai, J. Articles by Vaccarino, V. Agricola Articles by Dai, J. Articles by Vaccarino, V.

Association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and oxidative stress^1,2,3

¹ From the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory Program in Cardiovascular Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA (JD, PWW, VV, LJ, and LS); the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA (DPJ); the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, Seattle VA Epidemiologic Research and Information Center and the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (JG); the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Lipids, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA (TRZ); the Departments of Epidemiology (RMB, PWW, and VV) and Biostatistics (AKM), Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA; the Center of Epidemiology and Genomic Medicine, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Atlanta, GA (PWW); and the Nutrition and Health Sciences Graduate Program, Emory University (JD, DPJ, TRZ, RMB, PWW, and VV)

Background:The cardioprotective property of the Mediterranean diet has been attributed to its antioxidant capacity, but direct investigation of this mechanism has been limited.

Objective:We examined the association between the Mediterranean diet and an established plasma marker of oxidative stress, the ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG), in a well-controlled study of twins.

Design:We administered the Willett food-frequency questionnaire to 138 monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs and to 21 unpaired twins and derived a score measuring adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Fasting plasma GSH and GSSG concentrations were measured to calculate the GSH/GSSG ratio. The higher the ratio, the lower the oxidative stress. Mixed-effect regression analysis was used to partition the association into between- and within-twin pair differences. When within-pair effects are examined, twins are matched for sociodemographic and familial factors.

Results:A one-unit increment in the diet score was associated with a 7% higher GSH/GSSG ratio (P = 0.03) after adjustment for energy intake, other nutritional factors, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and medication use. The association persisted within twin pairs: a one-unit within-pair absolute difference in the diet score was associated with a 10% (95% CI: 2.7, 18.0) higher GSH/GSSG ratio in the twin with the higher score than in the co-twin with the lower score (P = 0.007). Results were similar in monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs.

Conclusions:The association between the Mediterranean diet and plasma oxidative stress is robust and is not confounded by genetic or shared environmental factors. Decreased oxidative stress is a plausible mechanism linking the Mediterranean diet to reduced cardiovascular disease risk.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Feart, C. Samieri, V. Rondeau, H. Amieva, F. Portet, J.-F. Dartigues, N. Scarmeas, and P. Barberger-Gateau Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet, Cognitive Decline, and Risk of Dementia JAMA, August 12, 2009; 302(6): 638 - 648. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]