Both the MedDiet (rich in fish, monounsaturated fats from olive oil, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes/nuts) and traditional Asian diets (composed of rice and other whole grains, fermented food, soy, fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood) have moderate to strong evidence for preventing T2D and MetS, decreasing cancer and CVD incidence and mortality, decreasing overall mortality, and treating obesity. These dietary patterns are naturally occurring in certain world regions, as it is the case of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and traditional Asian diets such as Korean, Chinese, and Japanese diets. Any advance in the prevention and management of these prevalent complications help to face these challenging global health problems, by ameliorating the quality of life of patients and reducing the associated sociosanitary burden.ĭietary changes recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) include balancing energy intake, limiting saturated and trans fats, and shifting toward unsaturated fats consumption, increasing intake of fruits and vegetables, and limiting the consumption of sugar and salt. Clinical and experimental data extracted from in vitro animal and cell models further demonstrated in patients, support the idea that a balanced diet, in a healthy lifestyle context, promotes proper bioenergetic and mitochondrial function, becoming the best medicine to prevent the onset and progression of MetS.
This review aims to provide an approach to the role that some nutrients exert on mitochondria as a major contributor to high prevalent Western conditions including metabolic syndrome (MetS), a constellation of pathologic conditions which promotes type II diabetes and cardiovascular risk. Unappropriated nutrients may support mitochondrial to become the Trojan horse in the cell. Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell and mainly responsible for nutrients metabolism, but they are also the main source of oxidative stress and cell death by apoptosis.
These nutrients aiming to feed our bodies, our tissues, and our cells, first need to reach mitochondria, where they are decomposed into CO 2 and H 2O to obtain energy. However, little is known on the way these components exert any influence on our health. A balanced diet counterparts these extreme conditions with the proper proportion, composition, quantity, and presence of macronutrients, micronutrients, and bioactive compounds. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global nutrition report shows that whilst part of the world’s population starves, the other part suffers from obesity and associated complications.