THE ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

The Mediterranean diet not only produces favourable effects on blood l ipids but also protects against oxidative stress, Oxidative damage is thought to represent one of the mechanisms leading to chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer, Many studies suggest that a link exists between fruit and vegetables in the diet or the amounts of plas ma antioxidant vitamins (ascorbic acid, tocopherol and carotenoids) an d risk of death from cancer or coronary heart diseases,although a larg e emphasis has been given to different components of the diet, attenti on has recently shifted to the diet as a whole, The Mediterranean diet is able to modulate oxidative stress through complex mechanisms and n ot just the high antioxidant compound content. The preference for fres h fruit and vegetables in the Mediterranean diet will result in a high er consumption of raw foods, a lower production of cooking-related oxi dants and a consequent decreased waste of nutritional and endogenous a ntioxidants, The high intake of antioxidant and fibre helps to scaveng e even the small amount of oxidants or oxidized compounds.