Cardiovascular disease is a treatable and even reversible condition. Treatment and reversal however requires that the disease is identified before large scale damage is done. The longer the disease is allowed to develop, the less that chance there exists that full health will be returned to the individual. Cardiovascular disease is associated with a number of metabolic changes, which can begin with the development of metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome is a widescale series of biochemical and physiological changes that detrimentally affect metabolism. A number of biochemical parameters can be measured and used as markers to assess the presence and progression of cardiovascular disease. Acylcarnitines are intermediates of fatty acid oxidation and elevated plasma levels are associated with cardiovascular disease because they may signify impairment of β-oxidation and mitochondrial dysfunction. For this reasons elevation of acylcarnitines is also associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
A mediterranean diet is considered a high quality diet because it contains foods that have positive effects on health, and is absent of metabolic poisons that can damage metabolism. The mediterranean diet varies slightly by region, but generally consists of meat from fowl or fish, which can both be high in fat, moderate amounts of dairy including yoghurt, milk and cheese, whole grain sources of cereal grains, fruits and vegetables, including olives and green leafy vegetables, as well as moderate amounts of red wine. Following a Mediterranean diet can cause a number of physiological changes that decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, the most important of these being fat loss. Evidence suggests that following a traditional Mediterranean diet can induce weight loss without the need to consciously restrict energy intake.
The Mediterranean diet has been shown to be an effective treatment for cardiovascular disease. Medium and long term consumption of the diet can normalise a number of biochemical parameters that are associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, including acetylcarnitine. For example in one study, researchers observed that subjects with elevated level of acylcarnitines had an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those with lower values. In particular, elevated levels of short and medium chain acylcarnitines were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and elevated levels of short chain acylcarnitines were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Subjects with elevated levels of short, medium and long chain acylcarnitines who followed a Mediterranean style diet had a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a reduction in acylcarnitine values compared to a control group who did not consume a Mediterranean style diet.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
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