Download Virgin Olive Oil and a Mediterranean Diet Fight Heart Disease

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Virgin Olive Oil and a Mediterranean Diet Fight Heart Disease
Adapted from Science Daily
1.
July 2010
Everyone knows olive oil and a Mediterranean diet -- the diet of Greece,
Crete, southern France, and parts of Italy that emphasizes fruits and
vegetables, nuts, grains, olive oil (not butter), grilled or steamed chicken ,
seafood (not red meat) and a glass or two of red wine -- are associated with a
lower risk for cardiovascular disease. This is a disease of the heart or blood
vessels.
Questions
1. a. Name the specific places where a Mediterranean diet is kept to.
________________
________________
________________
________________
b. What does this diet consist of?
______________
________________
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c. Which “disease of the heart vessels” (Para. 1 L 4-5) does the author
refer to?
_____________________________ (TWO WORDS)
2.
Atherosclerosis, (ath-er-o-skler-o-sis) comes from the Greek words
athero -- meaning paste -- and sclerosis meaning hardness. It is a disease
that eventually blocks blood flow in arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood
away from the heart. When this occurs in the heart, it leads to a heart attack.
Although a heart attack can be quick, the events that lead up to this acute
event begin very early in life. Early artery changes are seen in young adults
and even infants. Hardening of the arteries is the most common cause of
heart disease.
Questions
2. What does blocking blood flow in arteries result in?
______________________________________________________
3. What characterizes a heart attack?
Circle the correct words in the following sentences.
Its causes are deep-rooted / unknown. Besides it lasts long / can
last a few minutes.
______________________________________________________________
3.
Precisely what causes atherosclerosis remains unknown. However,
research suggests that it is a slow and complex disease that may start in
childhood. As people age, it develops faster. As a rule, it does not cause
symptoms until an artery becomes narrowed or blocked. Once this happens,
symptoms of the disease may include angina (chest pain or shortness of
breath) and cramping leg pain when the flow of oxygen to different parts of the
body is reduced. Serious consequences, including heart attack, stroke, or
even death can result.
Questions
4. The causes of atherosclerosis are not clear yet.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
_______________________________________________________
5. What does “angina” indicate?
Complete the following sentence
It’s a symptom of atherosclerosis showing that
__________________________.
____________________________________________________________
4.
A new research report published in July 2010 gives a surprising
explanation: these foods change the function of the genes associated with
atherosclerosis. "Knowing which genes can be affected by healthy eating can
help people select proper diets," said Maria Isabel Covas, D.Pharm., Ph.D., a
researcher involved in the work of the research group in Barcelona, Spain. "It
is also a first step for future nutritional therapies with selected foods."
5.
Scientists worked with three groups of healthy volunteers. The first
group was given a traditional Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil rich in
polyphenols. Polyphenols are a group of chemicals found in many fruits,
vegetables, and other plants, such as berries, walnuts, olives, tea leaves and
grapes. They remove the chemicals that have the potential to cause damage
to cells and tissues in the body. Polyphenols have a variety of potential health
benefits, including cancer prevention and reducing the risk of getting heart
disease. Some studies have found that these substances lower cholesterol
levels in the body. The second group consumed a traditional Mediterranean
diet with an olive oil low in polyphenols. The third group followed a habitual
diet that included both kinds of olive oil without specific polyphenols. The olive
oil types had a concentration of polyphenols ranging from 2.7 mg/kg of olive
oil (low-type) to 366 mg/kg (high) in the olive oils.
Questions
6. What makes the 2010 research significant?
Complete the following sentence. (ONE WORD IN EACH SPACE)
It proves that people can select healthy diets that affect their
____________positively. In addition, selected foods can be used for
_____________.
7. What is the goal of Paragraph 5?
Complete the sentence.
To describe how
_______________________________________________________.
8. What are the practical benefits of polyphenols?
a._____________________________________
b._____________________________________
c._____________________________________
______________________________________________________________
6.
After three months, the first group had fewer atherosclerosis-related
genes. Additionally, the olive oil polyphenols made a significant impact on the
genetic changes, influencing heart disease. "This study is ground breaking
because it shows that olive oil and a Mediterranean diet affect our bodies in a
far more significant way than previously believed," said Gerald Weissmann,
M.D. "Not only does this research offer more support for encouraging people
to change their eating habits, it is an important first step toward identifying
drug targets that affect how our genes express themselves."
7.
In another research, results also showed that the consumption of virgin
olive oil in conjunction with a Mediterranean diet can cure infection, influence
the process of normal cells being transformed into cancer cells and put and
end to a tumor.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff)
from materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental
Biology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630111035.htm
Questions
9. What is the importance of the experiment?
________________________________________________________
→
10. What is the relationship between Paragraphs 6 and 7?
a. Contrast
b. Cause and Effect
c. Addition
d. General and Specific
11. What is the main purpose of the article?
a. to advertize the Mediterranean area.
b. to reveal the possible causes of atherosclerosis.
c. to present the benefits of virgin olive oil and a Mediterranean diet
d. to describe the process leading to a heart attack.