ArticleThe American journal of clinical nutrition2008
Association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and oxidative stress.
Article in The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 114 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
114 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 247 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on stroke risk.GeroScience · 2025Pooled it
- Mediterranean dietary pattern and bone mineral density: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2022Pooled it
- Dietary patterns and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation: A systematic review of observational and intervention studies.Redox biology · 2021Pooled it
- Mediterranean-style diet for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The Association between the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and Cognitive Health: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2017Pooled it
- Mediterranean Diet, Cognitive Function, and Dementia: A Systematic Review of the Evidence.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2016Pooled it
- Plasma Ceramides, Mediterranean Diet, and Incident Cardiovascular Disease in the PREDIMED Trial (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea).Circulation · 2017Trial
- Adherence to a Mediterranean diet, genetic susceptibility, and progression to advanced macular degeneration: a prospective cohort study.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2015Trial
- Mediterranean diet reduces senescence-associated stress in endothelial cells.Age (Dordrecht, Netherlands) · 2012Trial
- Effect of Mediterranean diet on lipid peroxidation marker TBARS in obese patients with OSAHS under CPAP treatment: a randomised trial.Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 2012Trial
- A 3 years follow-up of a Mediterranean diet rich in virgin olive oil is associated with high plasma antioxidant capacity and reduced body weight gain.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2009Trial
- Glutathione Biology in Neurodegenerative and Metabolic Diseases: Molecular Mechanisms, Pathophysiological Roles, and Therapeutic Perspectives.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Effect of Ubiquinol on Cognitive Function, Blood Pressure, Arterial Stiffness, and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in the Elderly: A Randomized Trial.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Decoding the Longevity Networks of the Mediterranean Diet: Systems Biology and Multi-Pathway Mechanisms Shaping Healthspan.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Minimal Evidence of Inflammaging in Naturalistic Chimpanzee Populations.American journal of biological anthropology · 2026Article
- Mediterranean Diet, Polyphenols, and Neuroprotection: Mechanistic Insights into Resveratrol and Oleuropein.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Effects of Diet and Exercise on Mitochondrial Health in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): Role of Ceramides.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Efficacy of Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Management and Prevention.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- The Importance of Multifaceted Approach for Accurate and Comprehensive Evaluation of Oxidative Stress Status in Biological Systems.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
54 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe cardioprotective property of the Mediterranean diet has been attributed to its antioxidant capacity, but direct investigation of this mechanism has been limited.
objectiveWe examined the association between the Mediterranean diet and an established plasma marker of oxidative stress, the ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG), in a well-controlled study of twins.
designWe administered the Willett food-frequency questionnaire to 138 monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs and to 21 unpaired twins and derived a score measuring adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Fasting plasma GSH and GSSG concentrations were measured to calculate the GSH/GSSG ratio. The higher the ratio, the lower the oxidative stress. Mixed-effect regression analysis was used to partition the association into between- and within-twin pair differences. When within-pair effects are examined, twins are matched for sociodemographic and familial factors.
resultsA one-unit increment in the diet score was associated with a 7% higher GSH/GSSG ratio (P = 0.03) after adjustment for energy intake, other nutritional factors, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and medication use. The association persisted within twin pairs: a one-unit within-pair absolute difference in the diet score was associated with a 10% (95% CI: 2.7, 18.0) higher GSH/GSSG ratio in the twin with the higher score than in the co-twin with the lower score (P = 0.007). Results were similar in monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs.
conclusionsThe association between the Mediterranean diet and plasma oxidative stress is robust and is not confounded by genetic or shared environmental factors. Decreased oxidative stress is a plausible mechanism linking the Mediterranean diet to reduced cardiovascular disease risk.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.