Muhammad Akram

By Muhammad Akram, Rumaisa Ansari, Naheed Akhter, Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin, Sadia Zafar, Muhammad Ishaque, Naveed Munir, Luigi Sciarra, Giulia My, E.C. Gianvito Matarrese, Zefferino Palamà and Muhammad Riaz

The Mediterranean diet has a lot of health benefits but especially because it lowers the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. It has been shown that food components, certain nutrients and the pattern of the diet lowers the risk of several diseases such as diabetes, certain cancers, obesity, respiratory disorders, mental health and cognitive decline, bone diseases (osteoarthritis), healthy aging and quality of life among more others. It has been concluded from studying the mechanism responsible for lowering these risks that food combinations, food nutrients, presence of non-nutritive substances, lifestyles habits and the cooking techniques all together make the Mediterranean dietary pattern into a tool that can not only prevent but can also be used as a way of treatment for these medical ailments. As part of the essential dietary fat, consumption of extra virgin olive oil is the main feature of Mediterranean diet. Olive oil is noted to have anti-bacterial characteristics, involved in improving the endothelial function in young females, and is hypothesized to have epigenetic effects interplay offering protection from cancers due to the presence of beneficial monounsaturated fats. The presence of antioxidants contributes to the inflammation protecting properties of the olive oil. Olive oil has high quantities of antioxidants and offers numerous benefits for cardiovascular health, such as protection of LDL from oxidation and lowering of the high blood pressure as well as offers protection from diabetes mellitus. The Mediterranean diet and the Olive oil consumption also have a fundamental impact in secondary prevention, such as in patients with atrial fibrillation that underwent catheter ablation.

Part of the book: Olive Oil

By Sabira Sultana, Muhammad Akram, Nosheen Aslam, Naheed Akhter, Abdul Wadood Chishti, Muhammad Riaz, Walaa Fikry Elbossaty, Rida Zainab and Umme Laila

Nuts are nutritional containing foods that nature has gifted with complex matrix of bioactives and beneficial nutrients including poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids, antioxidant phenolics, phytosterols, tocopherols, minerals, fibers, and high-quality proteins. Because of their unique nutritional composition, they are beneficial to human health. Many epidemiological studies reported the beneficial effect of nuts on coronary heart diseases as well as in diabetes for both males and females. Nut crops also have good effects on inflammation, vascular damage, oxidative stress, cancer, and hypertension. Interventional studies reported that nut consumption has lipid lowering effect. Nuts are thus among the most highly nutritious foods available. When left in their shells, many nuts have a long lifespan and can be easily kept for winter use. Much research has been conducted on nuts and their beneficial effects on health. This chapter discusses the current knowledge of nuts crops and their beneficial effects on health. Currently available literature suggests that consumption of nuts particularly as part of healthy diet is associated with beneficial outcomes such as better cognitive function, decreased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities, and cancer. Further, long-term and interventional studies are required to make a definitive conclusion on the health-promoting effects of nuts consumption through the diet.

Part of the book: Nut Crops