By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) – A traditional Mediterranean diet with added olive oil may be tied to a lower risk of heart disease at least in part because it helps maintain healthy blood flow and clear debris from arteries, a Spanish study suggests. “A Mediterranean diet rich in virgin olive oil improves the function of high-density lipoproteins, HDL, popularly known as `good’ cholesterol,” said lead study author Dr. Alvaro Hernáez of the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute in Barcelona. This type of diet typically includes lots of fruits and legumes that are rich in antioxidants as well as plenty of vegetables, whole grains and olive oil.

New research suggests that obesity caused by a high-fat diet increases immune system T cells, resulting in inflammation that raises cardiovascular risk.

What is gout and how might diet affect gout? Learn about the recommended food types for a gout diet and the outlook for the future in this article.

By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) – Government policies designed to reduce how much salt people eat may be cost-effective even without considering the potential healthcare savings, a recent study suggests. “We know that too much salt in the diet causes hundreds of thousands of preventable cardiovascular deaths a year,” said senior study author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, killing almost one in every three people.

Researchers have found that a diet rich in whole grains may raise levels of healthy gut bacteria and boost immune responses, compared with refined grains.

Diets that contain whole grains speed up metabolism and increase calorie loss by reducing calories retained during digestion, finds new research.