ergo-log.com

Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "

10.05.2018

Fats from olive oil and nuts protect and rejuvenate blood vessels

If you want to protect yourself against cardiovascular disease, make sure the bulk of your fats comes from olive oil, nuts and avocados. The monounsaturated fats in these foods protect your blood vessel from physiological stress and at the same time stimulate their rejuvenation. This is evident from a human study that British nutritional scientists will soon publish in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Study
The researchers divided 190 subjects aged 21-60 years, all of whom had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, into 3 groups. For 16 weeks, all groups received a diet that consisted of 35 energy percent of fat.

One group was given a diet in which the bulk of the fats was saturated [SFA], a second group received a diet in which the bulk of the fats was monounsaturated [MUFA], and a third group received a diet with quite a lot of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA].

Before and after the 16 weeks, the researchers measured a number of new biomarkers for cardiovascular health in the subjects' blood. One of them was the concentration of the endothelial progenitor cells [EPC]. EPCs are stem cells that can rejuvenate the blood vessel walls, or enable the construction of new blood vessels. The more EPCs there are in your blood, the greater your cardiovascular health.

Another biomarker was the concentration of endothelial microparticles [EMP]. The endothelial cells in the walls of the blood vessels release these vesicles during physiological stress. The more EMPs there are in your blood, the greater your chance of a vascular desease. The concentration of EMPs when blood pressure rises; supplementation with fish oil brings it down. [Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100:123-43.]

Results
The diet with many PUFAs - according to most nutritional scientists 'the' way to keep cardiovascular disease at bay - had no statistically significant positive effect on endothelial progenitor cells, but the diet with many monounsaturated fatty acids did.

Both the diet with many monounsaturated fatty acids and the diet with many polyunsaturated fatty acids reduced the concentration of endothelial microparticles.

Conclusion
The research into endothelial progenitor cells and endothelial microparticles is still in its infancy, so you have to keep a close eye on the interpretation of these data. But it seems that a diet in which the fats mainly come from olive oil, nuts and avocados [sources of monounsaturated fatty acids] on the one hand protects the cells in the vessel walls from stress, and on the other hand stimulates the rejuvenation of the vessel walls.

A diet in which the fats mainly come from, for example, sunflower oil, corn oil and canola oil [sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids] does keep the vascular wall cell low, but does not have a rejuvenating effect on the vessel walls.

And a diet in which the fats mainly come from meat, dairy, palm oil and coconut oil [sources of saturated fats]?

Well...

Source:
Am J Clin Nutr 2018;107:1-7.

More:
Improved Q10 analogue MitoQ rejuvenates old blood vessels in human study 24.04.2018
Supplementation with 1200 milligram lecithin: feel stronger and make your blood vessels 10 years younger 24.02.2018
This cardio training schedule reverses cardiovascular aging 23.01.2018

Archives:
Cardiovascular Health
Olive Oil
Nuts

Live longer with monounsaturated fatty acids If you want to make your stay on this planet as long as possible, you'd do well to get as many of your fats as you can from olive oil, avocados and nuts.	Life-extending effect of virgin olive oil shown in fat rats Westerners are getting fatter and fatter. If they were to get most of their dietary fat from cold-pressed olive oil they might not lose weight, but they'd probably be healthier.	Skin ages less quickly with olive oil According to a French study, that was published in PLoS One in 2012, you can delay the speed at which your skin ages by using olive oil daily.