While all foods and nutrients comprising the Mediterranean diet likely interact to exert synergistic effects on health, some benefits may be attributed to specific dietary components.
Bioactive plant compounds like polyphenols and antioxidants are found in many common staples of the Mediterranean diet, including red wine, olive oil, coffee, tea, nuts, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Polyphenols upregulate the body’s natural antioxidant systems, reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, lower blood pressure via enhanced nitric oxide production, and decrease levels of systemic oxidative stress — all of which ameliorate recognized cardiovascular disease risk factors.[1] In support of this, a greater estimated intake of dietary polyphenols in participants consuming a Mediterranean diet has been associated with better cardiovascular outcomes, lower blood pressure, less inflammation, and a decreased risk for new-onset type 2 diabetes.[2] The high intake of “healthy” unsaturated fatty acids in the Mediterranean diet may also exert health-protective effects, as may the social and lifestyle practices associated with this diet.