Relationship between Mediterranean Dietary Polyphenol Intake and Obesity

Abstract

Obesity is a multifactorial and complex disease defined by excess of adipose mass and constitutes a serious health problem. Adipose tissue acts as an endocrine organ secreting a wide range of inflammatory adipocytokines, which leads to systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic disorders. The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high phenolic-rich foods intake, including extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, red wine, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole-grain cereals. Evidence for polyphenols’ effect on obesity and weight control in humans is inconsistent and the health effects of polyphenols depend on the amount consumed and their bioavailability. The mechanisms involved in weight loss in which polyphenols may have a role are: activating β-oxidation; a prebiotic effect for gut microbiota; inducing satiety; stimulating energy expenditure by inducing thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue; modulating adipose tissue inhibiting adipocyte differentiation; promoting adipocyte apoptosis and increasing lipolysis. Even though the intake of some specific polyphenols has been associated with body weight changes, there is still no evidence for the effects of total polyphenols or some polyphenol subclasses in humans on adiposity.

Dietary chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) improve acute dyslipidemia and steatohepatitis in rats

“…In agreement with several authors, DC was better than DE because chia is a very rich source of minerals, protein, dietary fiber, and lipids (Ayerza, 2009;Bushway, Belyea, & Bushway, 1981;Silveira Coelho & Salas-Mellado, 2014). In fact, the nutritional composition of the CS used was similar to other reports, although the lipids content 2014; Simopoulos, 2002) which was the ratio in foods that allowed the evolution of the human being (Eaton, Eaton, Sinclair, Cordain, & Mann, 1998;Simopoulos, 2011), and that was reached in this study in DC intake (Ayerza & Coates, 2007).…”

“…In fact, the nutritional composition of the CS used was similar to other reports, although the lipids content 2014; Simopoulos, 2002) which was the ratio in foods that allowed the evolution of the human being (Eaton, Eaton, Sinclair, Cordain, & Mann, 1998;Simopoulos, 2011), and that was reached in this study in DC intake (Ayerza & Coates, 2007). & Estruch, 2018;Wang et al, 2014).…”

“…Considering the average consumption of the diets and their respective content of ω‐3, it was calculated that each rat fed DC ingested 548.815 µg/day of ω‐3 versus 18.28 µg/day per rat supplied by DE, that is, DC‐fed rats consumed 30 times more ω‐3. Also, a reduction on adipose tissue, liver fat, and body weight has been attributed to the increased lipolysis and thermogenic effects of polyphenolic compounds such as those contained in CS, as determined by the TPC in DC, which was higher than in DE (Castro‐Barquero, Lamuela‐Raventos, Domenech, & Estruch, ; Wang et al, ).…”

“…Chia is also rich in functional proteins since peptides from chia have shown antibacterial activity and, remarkably, inhibit HMG‐CoAR, lowering Chol synthesis (Silveira Coelho, Manólio Soares‐Freitas, Gomes Arêas, Avila Gandra, & Salas‐Mellado, ). Furthermore, the TPC of chia may elicit anti‐hyperlipidemic and anti‐adipogenic effects (Cho et al, ; Osorio‐Esquivel, Ortiz‐Moreno, Garduno‐Siciliano, Alvarez, & Hernandez‐Navarro, ) by regulating similar signaling pathways (Castro‐Barquero et al, ; Wang et al, ). The Figure is a scheme that summarizes the possible molecular mechanisms of action elicited in liver and plasma by chia seeds constituents, such as the PUFAs ω‐6:ω‐3, polyphenols, dietary fiber, and proteins as hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective agents based on several data reported by other authors, as well as based on all the plasma and liver biochemical markers evaluated and verified by the histological analysis in this study.…”

You Are What You Eat—The Relationship between Diet, Microbiota, and Metabolic Disorders—A Review

“…Adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MD) has been linked to a reduced incidence of obesity and metabolic syndrome and decreased mortality and morbidity in patients with CVD [113,114]. Growing experimental and clinical evidence also suggests that an MD contributes to a beneficial GM pattern.…”