Mediterranean Diet and White Blood Cell Count—A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Main Authors: Álvaro Hernáez, Camille Lassale, Sara Castro-Barquero, Nancy Babio, Emilio Ros, Olga Castañer, Anna Tresserra-Rimbau, Xavier Pintó, Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, Dolores Corella, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Ángel M. Alonso-Gómez, José Lapetra, Miquel Fiol, Enrique Gómez-Gracia, Lluis Serra-Majem, Emilio Sacanella, Ana García-Arellano, José V. Sorlí, Andrés Díaz-López, Montserrat Cofán, Ramón Estruch
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
• Series: Foods
• Subjects: white blood cell count; Mediterranean diet; leukopenia; leukocytosis; randomized controlled trial; prevention
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/6/1268

We aimed to assess the effects of the antioxidant-rich Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) on white blood cell count. Our study population included participants in the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea study (average age 67 years old, 58% women, high cardiovascular risk). We assessed whether a MedDiet intervention enriched in extra-virgin olive oil or nuts, versus a low-fat control diet, modified the incidence of leukocytosis (>11 × 10⁹ leukocytes/L), mild leukopenia (<4.5 × 10⁹ leukocytes/L), or severe leukopenia (<3.5 × 10⁹ leukocytes/L) in individuals without the condition at baseline (<i>n</i> = 3190, <i>n</i> = 2925, and <i>n</i> = 3190, respectively). We also examined whether MedDiet modified the association between leukocyte count alterations and all-cause mortality. Both MedDiet interventions were associated with a lower risk of developing leukopenia (incidence rates: 5.06% in control diet, 3.29% in MedDiet groups combined; hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.54 [0.36–0.80]) and severe leukopenia (incidence rates: 1.26% in control diet, 0.46% in MedDiet groups combined; hazard ratio: 0.25 [0.10–0.60]). High cumulative adherence to a MedDiet was linked to lower risk of leukocytosis (incidence rates: 2.08% in quartile 1, 0.65% in quartile 4; HR_Q4-Q1: 0.29 [0.085–0.99]) and attenuated the association between leukopenia and all-cause mortality (<i>P</i>-interaction = 0.032). In brief, MedDiet decreased the incidence of white blood cell count-related alterations in high cardiovascular risk individuals.