Benefits of Mediterranean diet type have been known for well over half a century. In the last decade, an increasing amount of scientific evidence has supported its beneficial effects in human health confirming how this diet could be useful in preventing and reducing cardiovascular disorders, in diabetes type II, metabolic syndrome and fatty liver, and the cognitive decline of neurodegenerative diseases. A number of plant constituents naturally occurring in foods, particularly polyphenols, terpenoids, glucosinolates have a dramatic role in the modulation of cellular signaling pathways and nutritional genomic is a developing research field to study the effects of foods and food constituents on gene expression, focusing on identifying and understanding molecular-level interaction between nutrients and other dietary bioactives with the genome. Olive oil is the main source of fat and health-promoting component of the Mediterranean diet. Solid evidence was obtained on the homeostatic control of genes having a role in lipid metabolism, immune-inflammatory pathways, vessel protection and blood pressure control, metabolic regulation and detoxification of reactive species. Oleurepein, hydroxytyrosol and oleocanthal are the principal constituents responsible for such natural functional food. Citrus fruits such as oranges, bergamots, lemons and grapefruit contain special classes of flavonoids (polymethoxylated flavone and flavanones), are emerging for their considerable nutraceutical value. Juices from fruits or single flavonoids constituents can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease risk, pre-clinical investigations highlight cellular and subcellular targets that are responsible for these beneficial effects. Typically, plants from Brassicaceae family represent a large botanical family comprising many edible species. The organosulfur compounds of these species, denominated isothiocyanate derivatives (deriving from a myrosinase-mediated transformation of glucosinolates) have an important preventive effect in many human diseases, particularly prevention of neurodegenerative processes and cardiovascular diseases. Similarly, species belonging to Allium genus such as garlic, contain sulfur derivatives. S-allyl cysteine (SAC) is the active and main component of aged garlic extract with anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and nootropic potential.
Diet; Phytochemicals; Chronic illnesses; Cardiovascular disease; Nutrients; Health promotion; Neurological diseases; Fatty liver; Cardiovascular diseases; Transformation; Metabolic disorders; Blood pressure; Organosulfur compounds; Terpenes; Gene expression; Diabetes mellitus; Lipid metabolism; Olive oil; Glucosinolates; Detoxification; Derivatives; Health risks; Cognitive ability; Grapefruit; Flavonoids; Constituents; Neuroprotection; Metabolism; Genomes; Fats and oils; Neurodegenerative diseases; Nutrition; Molecular chains; Isothiocyanate; Inflammation; Species; Oranges; Garlic/