Context: Inflammation and endothelial dysfunction are important risk factors for chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and related mortality.
Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effects of 2 popular dietary patterns-a Mediterranean (MED) diet supplemented with olive oil and a low-fat diet (LFD)-on factors related to inflammation and endothelial function in adults.
Data sources and data extraction: The following online databases were searched for related studies published until August 7, 2024: PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Clarivate Analytics Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar. Two independent researchers selected the studies based on the eligibility criteria.
Data analysis: The effect sizes were expressed as Hedges' g with 95% CIs. A total of 16 eligible trials with 20 effect sizes were included in the analyses. This meta-analysis revealed that the MED diet supplemented with olive oil significantly improved all of the indicators of the study compared with the LFD, except in the case of E-selectin, in which a low and nonsignificant decrease was reported.
Conclusion: Available evidence suggests that a MED diet supplemented with olive oil compared with the LFD significantly improves inflammation and serum endothelial function in adults.
Systematic review registration: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42023485718.
Keywords: Mediterranean diet; endothelial function; inflammation; low-fat diet; meta-analysis; olive oil.
In this meta-analysis, the effects of a Mediterranean (MED) diet supplemented with olive oil versus a low-fat diet (LFD) on serum inflammatory and endothelial factors were reviewed. According to the findings of this study, the MED diet rich in olive oil significantly reduces serum C-reactive protein (CRP), high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), P-selectin, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) levels compared with the LFD. It is worth noting that the effect size was small for TNF-α and VCAM-1.The MED diet supplemented with olive oil also increases flow-mediated dilation compared with the LFD.
© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Life Sciences Institute. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.