The False Notion of Every Food within Mediterranean Diet Being Healthy

There are many people who think that everything that is eaten in the traditional Mediterranean diet is healthy. However, olive oil that is commonly consumed in such a diet has been found to dilate and damage the endothelium(one-cell lining of blood vessels), which allows plaque to build up and constrict the blood vessels that can lead to heart disease and heart attacks.


Best Heart Benefits From Canola and Fish Oils -- Not Olive Oil
http://connecticare.com/GlobalFiles/HealthNews/article.asp?ID=091e9c5e8000735f&Cat=0&Num=6

"The olive oil meal caused vessels to constrict by 34%, whereas the canola oil and salmon meals caused insignificant changes in blood vessels, Vogel reports. Because such constrictions injure the blood vessels' endothelium, they contribute to heart disease."


What Is Atherosclerosis?
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/atherosclerosis/

"Atherosclerosis (ath-er-o-skler-O-sis) is a disease in which plaque (plak) builds up inside your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body.

Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your organs and other parts of your body.

Atherosclerosis can lead to serious problems, including heart attack, stroke, or even death."

The omega 3 fatty acids from foods such as fish in the diet can improve the endothelial function, and therefore prevent the olive oil from constricting and damaging the endothelium.

Effect of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on endothelial function: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22317966

"Supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids significantly improves the endothelial function without affecting endothelium-independent dilation."

Olive oil taken without omega 3 fatty acids would be detrimental. People who assume that every food found within the traditional Mediterranean diet are mistaken.

The postprandial effect of components of the Mediterranean diet on endothelial function.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11079642

"CONCLUSIONS: In terms of their postprandial effect on endothelial function, the beneficial components of the Mediterranean and Lyon Diet Heart Study diets appear to be antioxidant-rich foods, including vegetables, fruits, and their derivatives such as vinegar, and omega-3-rich fish and canola oils."

Beneficial fats that contain high amounts of omega 3 can be found in foods like tofu, soya beans, soybean oil, soymilk, flaxseeds, walnuts etc. A good balance of omega 3 and 6 is already found in soybeans but if one can choose to consume flaxseeds to gain more omega 3 fats. 

Cholesterol Level and Saturated Fats are Not the Real Factors of Heart Disease — Glycation is One of The Main Factors

The theory held by many people including doctors that LDL cholesterol and saturated fat can cause heart disease is still a theory not yet proven to be true.

Plaque is known to constrict blood vessels that lead to heart disease. However, the smooth endothelium(one-cell thick lining of blood vessels) has to first be damaged in order for plaque to accumulate.

The low-density lipoprotein aka LDL(that carries cholesterol and lipids/fats) has to first enter damaged areas of the smooth endothelium(one-cell thick lining of blood vessels) in order to create plaque.

Cholesterol is found inside the lipoproteins and cholesterol cannot simply attach to the smooth endothelium nor damage it, it is a mistaken false theory that many doctors and writers of health sites still follow. LDL is also not 'bad' and its particle size doesn't affect heart disease.

Cholesterol cannot simply attach to the smooth endothelium, and therefore is not a cause of heart disease.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/WhyCholesterolMatters/Atherosclerosis_UCM_305564_Article.jsp
"Exactly how atherosclerosis begins or what causes it isn't known, but some theories have been proposed."

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/atherosclerosis
"No one knows the exact cause of atherosclerosis"

We have got cholesterol completely wrong
http://www.zoeharcombe.com/the-knowledge/we-have-got-cholesterol-completely-wrong/


Personal opinion:

Blood cholesterol level and saturated fat are actually not the real factors of heart disease. It is when the smooth endothelium(lining of the blood vessels) get damaged by factors such as glycation(destruction of protein fibers in blood vessels) that the low density lipoproteins aka LDL(that carries fat and cholesterol) get to enter the damaged area. The repeat of such endothelium damage and entering of the LDL eventually forms plaque that can constrict the blood vessels and can lead to heart disease. Other factors can also come from constriction of the blood vessels by things like polyphenols(olive oil). Other proinflammation factors can also weaken the blood vessels over time.

It is not cholesterol or saturated fat that leads to heart disease but the damage to the smooth lining of the blood vessels. Too much blood vessel 'scarring' is harmful. This is why it is important not to consume excessively on foods such as starches and sugar that are very high on the Glycermic Index, which can lead to glycation that can damage the lining of the blood vessels and set off the progression of heart disease.

People who still think that cholesterol level and saturated fat lead to heart disease are still not aware of the bigger picture of heart disease.

I realize that many researchers have not yet made such a conclusion perhaps they are not well-aware of the effects of glycation and other factors on the endothelium. Perhaps in future, this can be confirmed in lab studies. Maybe I will contact some researchers to offer them my opinion.

Deleterious effect of glycation on the ability of HDL to counteract the inhibitory effect of oxidized LDL on endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23908137

Proinflammation: the key to arterial aging
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24365513