Supplementing Mediterranean Diet With Coenzyme Q10 Lowers Inflammation

Supplementing a Mediterranean diet with coenzyme Q10 lowers inflammation

Friday, January 27, 2012. A crossover study described in the January, 2012 issue of the Journals of Gerontology Series A revealed that the addition of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to a Mediterranean diet lowers a number of indicators of inflammation in older men and women.

Researchers at the University of Cordoba and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III in Spain enrolled ten men and ten women aged 65 and older who were not being treated for inflammation or elevated lipids. Participants were randomized to receive one of three dietary regimens for a four week period, followed by two additional four week periods in which the regimens previously not received were administered. The regimens consisted of a Mediterranean diet, which contains high amounts of vegetables, fruit, olive oil and other healthy foods; a Mediterranean diet supplemented with 200 milligrams per day coenzyme Q10, and a Western diet providing 38 percent of total energy as fat and containing high amounts of saturated fat. Fasting and postprandial blood samples collected at the end of each intervention were analyzed for the expression of genes involved in inflammation.

At the conclusion of the study, consumption of the Mediterranean diet was found to be associated with a reduction in the expression of a number of genes involved in the inflammatory process. The addition of coenzyme Q10 to the diet further reduced the expression of three significant genes, including interleukin 1-beta, in comparison with the other diets. In previous research involving the Mediterranean diet, the researchers observed a reduction in oxidative stress that occurs after a meal, which was further improved by CoQ10. "In healthy humans, plasma oxidative damage may be partially prevented by CoQ supplementation, which has been replicated in other populations, like psoriasis or coronary heart disease patients," Jose Lopez-Miranda and colleagues write.

They remark that the current study's results "support that the consumption of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with CoQ is beneficial for healthy aging of individuals. We can conclude that specific dietary intervention might be a new, interesting, and promising challenge in the treatment (and mainly prevention) of processes that lead to a rise in chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, such as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative diseases, and aging."

Adherence to Mediterranean Diet, Recommended Food Score predict longer life

A report published online on December 21, 2011 in the Journal of Nutrition reveals a protective effect for two healthy diets on mortality from any cause over a 14 year average follow-up period.

A team from Australia and the UK analyzed the diets of 972 participants in the British Diet and Nutrition Survey of men and women aged 65 and older upon enrollment from 1994-1995. Four day weighed food intake records were analyzed according to their adherence to the Healthy Diet Score, which rates the intake of saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, fruit and vegetables, pulses and nuts, sugars, cholesterol, fish, red meat and meat products, and calcium; the Mediterranean diet, which includes vegetables, legumes, fruits and nuts, cereals, fish and seafood, a high monounsaturated to saturated fats ratio, dairy products, meat and meat products, and alcohol; and the Recommended Food Score which, according to the authors, "is a food-based score calculated based on the frequency of consumption of a range of foods considered to be consistent with existing dietary guidelines," including various fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat and reduced fat dairy products.

Having a higher Mediterranean Diet Score was associated with a 23 percent lower adjusted risk of dying over follow-up than having a low score, and a higher Recommended Food Score was associated with a 33 percent lower risk. No association was found for the Healthy Diet Score.

"The study shows that diet quality is an important predictor of longevity among older adults," Sarah A. McNaughton and her colleagues write. "With the ageing population worldwide, the role of diet quality in improving functional status and quality of life becomes increasingly important and further research is required on the role of diet in these aspects of ageing."

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