May 20, 2014 - Blogs
Move over apple—a salad a day may be the new key to a healthy heart. New research shows a diet that combines unsaturated fats with nitrite-rich vegetables, such as olive oil and lettuce, can keep hypertension at bay. The research helps explain why some previous studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet can reduce blood pressure.
The Mediterranean diet typically includes unsaturated fats found in olive oil, nuts and avocados, along with vegetables like spinach, celery and carrots that are rich in nitrites and nitrates. When these two food groups are combined, the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with nitrogen compounds in the vegetables results in the formation of nitro fatty acids.
Researchers at King’s College London used mice to investigate the process by which these nitro fatty acids lower blood pressure, looking at whether they inhibited an enzyme known as soluble epoxide hydrolase, which regulates blood pressure.
Mice genetically engineered to be resistant to this inhibitory process were found to maintain their high blood pressure despite being fed the type of nitro fatty acids that normally form when a Mediterranean diet is consumed. However, nitro fatty acids were found to lower the blood pressure of normal mice following the same diets.
Thus, the study concludes that the protective effect of the Mediterranean diet, combining unsaturated fats and vegetables abundant in nitrite and nitrate, comes at least in part from the nitro fatty acids generated which inhibit soluble epoxide hydrolase to lower blood pressure.
The study was published in the journal PNAS.
Luckily, many consumers are aware of the benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables. According to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) 2014 Food & Health Survey, 83 percent of Americans have made an effort in the past year to consume more fruits and vegetables. And the survey showed two out of five Americans were able to identify nuts, avocados, olive oil, salmon and canola oil as foods containing high amounts of unsaturated fats.
Especially beneficial to heart health are long-chain omega-3 fatty acids—eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA)—which have been shown to lower a blood fat called triglyceride. Food Product Design spoke on the topic with Bruce Holub, Ph.D., department of human health & nutritional sciences, University of Guelph. (View the complete video on Food Product Design’s FoodTech Toolbox).
Holub cited American Heart Association recommendations of 1,000 mg per day of EPA/DHA, and 3,000 to 4,000 mg per day for those trying to lower triglycerides. However, he continued to note the average intake in America for EPA/DHA sits around 130 mg per day.
“How do we increase the intakes?" Holub asked. Simple—increase consumption of fish or functional foods that have DHA/EPA added to them.
As mentioned in Food Product Design’s Digital Issue, “Functional Foods," EPA and DHA are appearing in an array of products, including baked goods, bars, smoothies, beverages, yogurts, dressings, mixes and more.
Food product designers can formulate foods with omega-3 fatty acids using a number of methods, including encapsulation technologies and process technologies. The difference in methods is how various ingredient technologies protect lipids from oxidation and how they further prevent oxidation when incorporated in the food or beverage matrix. Choosing the appropriate method is crucial, as it will ensure finished-product quality. For a deeper look at designing foods with omega-3s, download the free Digital Issue here.
Move over apple—a salad a day may be the new key to a healthy heart. New research shows a diet that combines unsaturated fats with nitrite-rich vegetables, such as olive oil and lettuce, can keep hypertension at bay. The research helps explain why some previous studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet can reduce blood pressure.
The Mediterranean diet typically includes unsaturated fats found in olive oil, nuts and avocados, along with vegetables like spinach, celery and carrots that are rich in nitrites and nitrates. When these two food groups are combined, the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with nitrogen compounds in the vegetables results in the formation of nitro fatty acids.
Researchers at King’s College London used mice to investigate the process by which these nitro fatty acids lower blood pressure, looking at whether they inhibited an enzyme known as soluble epoxide hydrolase, which regulates blood pressure.
Mice genetically engineered to be resistant to this inhibitory process were found to maintain their high blood pressure despite being fed the type of nitro fatty acids that normally form when a Mediterranean diet is consumed. However, nitro fatty acids were found to lower the blood pressure of normal mice following the same diets.
Thus, the study concludes that the protective effect of the Mediterranean diet, combining unsaturated fats and vegetables abundant in nitrite and nitrate, comes at least in part from the nitro fatty acids generated which inhibit soluble epoxide hydrolase to lower blood pressure.
The study was published in the journal PNAS.
Luckily, many consumers are aware of the benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables. According to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) 2014 Food & Health Survey, 83 percent of Americans have made an effort in the past year to consume more fruits and vegetables. And the survey showed two out of five Americans were able to identify nuts, avocados, olive oil, salmon and canola oil as foods containing high amounts of unsaturated fats.
Especially beneficial to heart health are long-chain omega-3 fatty acids—eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA)—which have been shown to lower a blood fat called triglyceride. Food Product Design spoke on the topic with Bruce Holub, Ph.D., department of human health & nutritional sciences, University of Guelph. (View the complete video on Food Product Design’s FoodTech Toolbox).
Holub cited American Heart Association recommendations of 1,000 mg per day of EPA/DHA, and 3,000 to 4,000 mg per day for those trying to lower triglycerides. However, he continued to note the average intake in America for EPA/DHA sits around 130 mg per day.
“How do we increase the intakes?" Holub asked. Simple—increase consumption of fish or functional foods that have DHA/EPA added to them.
As mentioned in Food Product Design’s Digital Issue, “Functional Foods," EPA and DHA are appearing in an array of products, including baked goods, bars, smoothies, beverages, yogurts, dressings, mixes and more.
Food product designers can formulate foods with omega-3 fatty acids using a number of methods, including encapsulation technologies and process technologies. The difference in methods is how various ingredient technologies protect lipids from oxidation and how they further prevent oxidation when incorporated in the food or beverage matrix. Choosing the appropriate method is crucial, as it will ensure finished-product quality. For a deeper look at designing foods with omega-3s, download the free Digital Issue here.
Sources:
- EurekAlert: Why you need olive oil on your salad
