A nutritional intervention promoting the Mediterranean food pattern is associated with a decrease in circulating oxidized LDL particles in healthy women from the Québec City metropolitan area

J Nutr. 2005 Mar;135(3):410-5. doi: 10.1093/jn/135.3.410.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a nutritional intervention promoting the Mediterranean food pattern under free-living conditions on circulating oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) in a group of 71 healthy women from the Quebec City metropolitan area. The 12-wk nutritional intervention consisted of 2 courses on nutrition and 7 individual sessions with a dietitian. A score based on the 11 components of the Mediterranean pyramid was established to determine the women's adherence to the Mediterranean food pattern. Plasma ox-LDL concentrations were measured by a monoclonal antibody mAb-4E6-based competition ELISA. Among all women, plasma ox-LDL decreased by 11.3% after 12 wk of nutritional intervention (P < 0.0001) despite a lack of change in plasma LDL cholesterol (LDL-C). Also, an increase in the Mediterranean dietary score was significantly correlated with a decrease in ox-LDL concentrations (r = -0.30; P = 0.01). More specifically, increases in servings of fruits (r = -0.25; P < 0.05) and vegetables (r = -0.24; P < 0.05) were associated with decreases in ox-LDL concentrations. Changes in the food pattern in response to a nutritional intervention promoting the Mediterranean food pattern were accompanied by beneficial effects in circulating ox-LDL concentrations in healthy women.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Body Mass Index
  • Cholesterol, LDL / blood
  • Diet Records
  • Diet*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Fruit
  • Humans
  • Lipids / blood
  • Lipoproteins / blood
  • Lipoproteins, LDL / blood*
  • Mediterranean Region
  • Middle Aged
  • Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / physiology*
  • Quebec
  • Reference Values
  • Urban Population
  • Vegetables

Substances

  • Cholesterol, LDL
  • Lipids
  • Lipoproteins
  • Lipoproteins, LDL
  • oxidized low density lipoprotein