Fuente: Comité Oleícola Internacional Lugar: OHIS This week on the Olive Health Information System website
The newsletter of the University of Navarra and the IOC dedicated to health
Article 1
Healthy dietary patterns are generally characterized by a high intake of minimally processed plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and legumes. What distinguishes the Mediterranean diet from other healthy dietary patterns is its emphasis on extra virgin olive oil as the primary source of fat along with a substantial consumption of nuts and a low-to-moderate intake of red wine during meals.
A recently published review summarizes the current evidence regarding the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular diseases. The available data indicate that the traditional Mediterranean diet represents a sustainable and health-promoting eating pattern, associated with a wide range of cardiovascular benefits. These protective effects have been consistently supported by large randomized controlled trials, including the Lyon Diet Heart Study, PREDIMED, PREDIMED-Plus, and CORDIOPREV.  The Mediterranean diet remains an exemplary dietary model, supported by the most robust scientific evidence for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Extra virgin olive oil not only helps protect against cardiovascular diseases, but also offers beneficial effects in the prevention and mitigation of other conditions, including breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive decline, and depressive symptoms, while contributing to an improved quality of life. A recent systematic review reported that greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with improved mental health outcomes in adults. Higher adherence was linked to reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, lower stress levels, and enhanced quality of life and overall well-being, both in individuals with comorbidities and in healthy subjects. These associations may be explained by the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of extra virgin olive oil and the Mediterranean diet as a whole, as well as their beneficial effects on the gut microbiota.
Article 2
The Mediterranean diet is a dietary pattern rich in olive oil, vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and fish, with limited intake of red and processed meats. It is widely recognized for the prevention of several chronic diseases, yet ongoing research continues to explore its long-term impact and broader health benefits.
For example, one recent study examined how dietary habits —particularly adherence to the Mediterranean diet — influence the risk of developing several chronic conditions simultaneously (multimorbidity) in women in the UK. More than 24,000 women were followed for about 20 years, with regular assessment of their diets and health status. Researchers found that women with the highest adherence to the Mediterranean diet had a 14% lower risk of developing multimorbidity compared with those with the lowest adherence. In contrast, higher consumption of red and processed meat was associated with an increased risk. These associations were consistent regardless of age or body size, although the protective effect of the Mediterranean diet was weaker in women over 60 years.
Beyond multimorbidity, research has also explored whether adhering to different dietary patterns may influence the risk of neurological and psychiatric disorders. In the UK Biobank cohort, data from nearly 167,000 participants were analyzed to evaluate adherence to 10 dietary patterns —including the Mediterranean diet — and the incidence of 5 major brain disorders: dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety and Parkinson’s disease. The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND diet) emerged as the most protective, especially against dementia, stroke, depression, and anxiety. These findings were validated in two additional cohorts, where the MIND diet remained significantly associated with lower risks of depression and anxiety, as well as better cognitive performance and fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms. In contrast, a high consumption of ultra-processed food was associated with an increased risk of dementia, depression and anxiety. The mechanisms underlying these benefits were also explored, suggesting that a favorable metabolic profile and slower biological aging may partly mediate these protective effects.
Overall, these studies add to the growing evidence that Mediterranean-style eating—traditionally anchored by olive oil—is linked to healthier ageing
Article 3
This week’s research highlights the central role of microorganisms in both olive cultivation and human health. Microbial biostimulants show promise for enhancing olive tree resilience and productivity, while components of the Mediterranean diet may promote digestive health in part by supporting a healthy gut microbiota. Together, these studies emphasize how microbial communities connect sustainable agriculture and dietary benefits within the broader olive ecosystem.
Focusing first on olive cultivation, an article reviews how microbial biostimulants, especially plant-growth-promoting bacteria, could improve olive cultivation under climate stress. Reported benefits include enhanced nutrient uptake, greater tolerance to drought and heat, and better protection against pathogens. However, many field applications in mature olive groves have shown limited success due to challenges in microbial survival, root colonization, and competition with native soil microbes. The authors argue that the main bottleneck is not biological potential but inadequate delivery methods. They propose developing advanced carriers and exploring non-soil delivery approaches, such as endotherapy, to unlock the full potential of microbial biostimulants in olive farming.
Turning now to human health, a study in three prospective cohorts examined how dietary patterns relate to the risk of developing chronic constipation in more than 96,000 middle-aged and older adults. Higher adherence to an alternate Mediterranean diet pattern was associated with a 16% lower risk of chronic constipation compared with those with the lowest adherence. A plant-based dietary pattern showed an even stronger association, with a 20% reduction in risk.  These protective effects remained significant even after adjusting for total fiber intake and consumption of ultra-processed foods, indicating that the benefits are not explained by fiber alone, and may be partly mediated by favorable changes in the gut microbiota.
Overall, these findings underscore the dual importance of microorganisms, from soil to gut, in supporting both productive olive groves and human digestive wellbeing. Enhancing tree-associated microbial communities and promoting Mediterranean dietary patterns may act synergistically to improve agricultural sustainability and health outcomes. This integrated perspective highlights the potential of microbiota-centered strategies across the olive-oil value chain.
 
Other articles mentioned this week in the OHIS newsletter:
Olive fruit
Nanoencapsulation of hydroxytyrosol extract of fermented olive leaf brine using proniosomes.
A sequential multi-strain inoculation approach for designing functional Sicilian table olives.
[Oil and life: The impact of olive oil on human health. A review of the evidence supporting the recommendation for extra virgin olive oil consumption].
Effect of foliar sodium selenite fertilization on oxidative stress and productivity in Olea europaea L., biofortification and quality of extra virgin olive oil.
Effects of olive leaf extracts on nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, blood parameters, and antioxidant capacity in sheep: an in vitro and in vivo study
Untargeted metabolomic approach to assess the acute metabolism and urinary excretion of olive leaf bioactive compounds in humans
Oleuropein Aglycone Modulates Oxidative Stress and Autophagy-Related Pathways in Human Skeletal Muscle Cells
Oleuropein Administration Alleviates Nerve Damage Induced by Sciatic Nerve Constriction Injury in Rats
Improving olive farming with microbial biostimulants: benefits, challenges and opportunities
 
 
Mediterranean diet
Diet and female fertility: a population-based study re-evaluating the need for prescriptive dietary patterns.
The mediterranean diet and acne vulgaris: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Mediterranean Diet Reduces Inflammation in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
The Mediating Role of Intuitive Eating in the Relationship Between Food Insecurity and the Mediterranean Diet: A Regional Cross-Sectional Study in Türkiye.
Determinants of adherence to the Mediterranean diet among adults in Mediterranean countries: a systematic literature review.
 
Cardiometabolic health
The Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease.
Optimizing cardiovascular health with a type 2 diabetes remission program: Ultraprocessed food-intake reduction, Mediterranean diet, chrononutrition and physical training-The DIABEPIC-2 pilot study.
MELI-POP Study: MEditerranean LIfestyle in Pediatric Obesity Prevention. Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
 
Mental health
Ketogenic diet is less effective in ameliorating depression and anxiety in obesity than Mediterranean diet: A pilot study for exploring the GUT-brain axis.
Effect of Mediterranean diet on mental health outcomes: A systematic review.
Association between different dietary patterns and the risk of major brain disorders: a prospective multi-cohort study.
Relationships among mediterranean diet adherence, sustainable food literacy, and depression in healthcare professionals
Efficacy of Mediterranean diet for the prevention of neurological diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis featured in the Italian National Guidelines “La Dieta Mediterranea”
Crosstalk between MSC-extracellular vesicles and Olea europaea leaf extract in encapsulated liposomal hydrogel: attenuation of neuroinflammation and brain neurotransmitter and memory impairment associated with obesity-induced high-fat diet
 
Cancer Prevention
Degree of Food Processing and Incidence of Obesity-Related Cancers in the “Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra” Project.
The Effects of a Modified Mediterranean Diet on Gut Microbiota and Chemotherapy Side Effects in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Undergoing First-Line Chemotherapy With or Without Either Antiepidermal Growth Factor Receptor or Antivascular Endothelial Growth Factor Agent: Protocol for a Randomized Pilot Study in Italy.
Dietary patterns, polygenic risk, and kidney cancer incidence: a UK Biobank cohort study
 
 
Cardiovascular Disease
Assessing the synergy between a mediterranean diet and physical activity on cardiometabolic risk: a 2×2 factorial randomized controlled study.
Diet and nutrition in cardiovascular disease prevention: a scientific statement of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology and the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions of the European Society of Cardiology.
The relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet, quality of life, anthropometric measurements, and some biochemical parameters in patients with coronary artery disease.
Midlife Mediterranean diet is associated with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in late midlife.
 
Heart Disease
Mediterranean Diet reduces ischemic heart disease risk in diabetes patients until reversed by smoking: Evidence from UK Biobank cohort.
 
Liver & Metabolism
Diet Habits and Hepatocellular Carcinoma-Potential Implication for Clinical Practice.
Dietary Interventions in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: A Narrative Review of Evidence, Mechanisms, and Translational Challenges.
Potential protective role of high Mediterranean diet adherence for systemic lupus erythematosus: mediation by liver and kidney function biomarkers in the UK Biobank cohort.
Mediterranean and low-fat diets are equally effective in MASLD resolution at 12 weeks regardless of PNPLA3 genotype: A randomized controlled trial
 
Nutritional adequacy
Nutritional adequacy of the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet: cross-sectional analyses of the United Kingdom National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
 
Digestive System Disease
The role of the Mediterranean diet in the management of inflammatory bowel disease: a narrative review
Dietary Patterns and Incident Chronic Constipation in Three Prospective Cohorts of Middle- and Older-Aged Adults
 
Eating Behaviour
Effect of Nutrition, Sensory Education and Healthy Food Exposure Interventions on Adolescent Food Habits and Attitudes
Enhance Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in an Italian Academic Setting: A Workplace Health Promotion Programme
Determinants of adherence to the Mediterranean diet among adults in Mediterranean countries: a systematic literature review
 
Other topics
Foods, Mediterranean diet, and risk of multimorbidity: results from a large population-based cohort study.
Actual macronutrient composition of the Mediterranean diet and its association with adiposity and inflammation: a cross-sectional real-life study.
Association Between Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Periodontal Health Among Junior High School Students in China.
Association between five dietary indices and childhood asthma: the mediating role of visceral adiposity indicators using NHANES data.
Association of Mediterranean diet adherence with familial Mediterranean fever severity in a Lebanese cohort
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