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Spanish Harvest Page 11

Heart health: Mediterranean versus low-fat diet

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Adapted from an article by Timothy Huzar in Medical News Today, December 15, 2020

In a recent study, scientists compared the effects of a Mediterranean diet with those of a low-fat diet on key biological processes linked to heart health.

The researchers found that a Mediterranean diet could improve endothelial function in people with coronary heart disease. The endothelium is a thin membrane that coats the inside of blood vessels and the heart. It plays a number of roles that are important for the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Heart disease

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, heart disease accounts for around 1 in 4 deaths in the United States, making it the leading cause of death. Modifying the diet is a keyway to reduce the risk of heart disease. For many years, researchers have demonstrated the benefits of a Mediterranean diet on heart health. It includes olive oil, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fruits, and whole grains, with small amounts of dairy and meat and a moderate amount of fish and red wine. Health experts, including the American Heart Association (AHA), have also linked low-fat diets with improvements in heart health. This type of diet contains reduced amounts of all types of fat and increased amounts of complex carbohydrates.

The team behind the present study set out to test the effects of each type of diet on the endothelium because endothelial dysfunction is a predictor of cardiovascular disease. According to Prof. José López-Miranda, the corresponding author of the study and coordinator of the Nutritional Genomics and Metabolic Syndrome research group at the Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba, in Spain:

The degree of endothelial damage predicts the occurrence of future cardiovascular events, as in acute myocardial infarctions. If we can take action at the initial stages, prompting endothelium regeneration and better endothelial function, we can help prevent heart attacks and heart disease from reoccurring.

The researchers analyzed data gathered as part of the Coronary Diet Intervention with Olive Oil and Cardiovascular Prevention study, an ongoing, single-blind, randomized, controlled study. The study included 1,002 people with coronary heart disease who had not had a coronary event in the past 6 months. The researchers determined a baseline level of endothelial dysfunction among the participants. They then assigned the participants to two groups: one followed a Mediterranean diet for 1 year, and the other followed a low-fat diet for 1 year.

At the end of the year, the team measured the participants’ endothelial function again. In total, 805 participants completed the study.

Compared with the low-fat diet, the Mediterranean diet significantly improved the participants’ endothelial function—no matter how severe the dysfunction had been.

The researchers also found that the Mediterranean diet resulted in improved levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and reductions in fasting glucose and C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) among the participants, compared with the low-fat diet.

The findings suggest that switching to a Mediterranean diet could help reduce the known risk of endothelial damage, coronary heart disease, and future coronary events.

Reference: Yubero-Serrano EM, Fernandez-Gandara C, Garcia-Rios A, et al. Mediterranean diet and endothelial function in patients with coronary heart disease: an analysis of the CORDIOPREV randomized controlled trial. PLOS Med. 2020;17(9):e1003282. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003282

Scrambled Eggs with Sumac and Pine Nuts

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Sumac was long used in the Mediterranean to add tartness to dishes before the Romans introduced lemons. It gives an exotic “spice market” flavor to scrambled eggs. 

Ingredients

  • 6 large eggs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry skillet
  • 1 teaspoon ground sumac
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • Warm flatbread such as pita or lavash 

Directions

Gently beat eggs with a big pinch of salt and some pepper in a medium bowl with a fork. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the eggs and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until they are barely set and still slightly runny (they will continue to cook after removal from the pan), about 1 minute. Immediately transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with pine nuts, sumac, and parsley. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately with flatbread. 

Serves 3 to 4 — Recipe from seriouseats.com 

Escalivada

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This is Spain’s answer to ratatouille, a platter of smoky, jewel-like vegetables in a simple olive oil and sherry vinaigrette. Serve on bread, with cheese, or with meat or fish. 

Ingredients

  • 2 medium yellow onions, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 2 yellow or orange bell peppers
  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus 1/4 cup
  • 2 teaspoons Spanish sherry vinegar Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Finely chopped chives, for garnish 

Directions

Step 1

Light a grill. In a large bowl, toss the onion slices and whole peppers and eggplant with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the vegetables on the grill, and cook, turning as needed, until charred and soft, 15 minutes for the onions, 20 minutes for the peppers, and 30 minutes for the eggplant. (Alternatively, roast the vegetables in the oven.) 

Step 2

Place the peppers and eggplant in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the vegetables stand for 15 minutes, and then uncover and peel; discard their skins, stems, and the seeds from the peppers. 

Step 3

Still in the bowl, use your hands to tear the peppers and eggplant into long strips, and then arrange them, alternating, on a platter with the onions. Mix the juices left behind in the bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, and then drizzle the dressing over the vegetables. Sprinkle with chives before serving. 

Serves 4 — Recipe from Saveur, June 27, 2015 

Lentil and Chorizo Soup (Lentejas con Chorizo)

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

A small restaurant on the road from Madrid to Jaén serves incredible lentil and chorizo soup. It might be my “favorite bite” of this trip. 

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups lentils
  • One cured chorizo (about 9 ounces), sliced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
  • One large potato, peeled and diced 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • Water or vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón)
  • Extra virgin olive oil for sautéing, plus extra for drizzling
  • Salt to taste 

Directions

Step 1

Wash the lentils and remove any debris. Place the lentils, chorizo, whole garlic cloves, carrots, and potatoes in a large pot. Pour in enough water or vegetable stock to cover the ingredients by three ngers. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Let cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally. 

Step 2

Fry the onions in a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until slightly browned, then add the Spanish paprika. Add the onions to the lentils and salt to taste. Cook for 45 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves; squeeze the garlic from its skin, and mash. Return the garlic to the pot. Serve immediately with extra olive oil for drizzling. 

Serves 6 — Recipe adapted from food52.com