Chapter 53 - Oleic acid—the main component of olive oil on postprandial metabolic processes

Abstract

While virtually all-clinical studies for the evaluation of health status are conducted in individuals at fasting, the postprandium, that is, “the period that comprises and follows a meal,” remains as an interval of the day characterized by significant but silent metabolic disturbances that, although they are considered physiological, they may cease to be due to high amounts or quality of nutrients, and/or intrinsic factors that influence the metabolic response to such nutrients. In those cases, if repetitive, disproportionate, and long lasting, the postprandial metabolism can become a pathological condition involved in the genesis of multiple disorders, some of which may be potentially life threatening in the long term. After meals rich in fats and carbohydrates the postprandial increased levels of triglycerides and glucose can be accompanied by oxidative stress and, less well known, activation of blood clotting cascade, peripheral insulin resistance, and inflammation. The goal of this chapter is to provide an update of the information on the relevance of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), notably oleic acid, in olive oil regarding saturated fatty acids (SFA) in dietary fats to influence postprandial metabolic processes related to blood coagulation, β-cell function, insulin sensitivity, and inflammation. Data are consistent with the view that the oleic-to-palmitic-acid ratio (MUFA/SFA) in olive oil may have a beneficial impact on postprandial levels of tissue factor and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, with a restraint of postprandial hyperactivity of β-cells, insulin resistance, and proinflammatory response. We suggest that the Mediterranean diet can reduce cardiovascular events and disease in part due to the high oleic acid content in olive oil and its impact on postprandial hemostatic system and glucose and tissue homeostasis.