## 4 Discussion
The possible studied mechanisms of Mediterranean diet bioactive compounds and especially polyphenols for the prevention of metabolic diseases include free radicals scavenging and oxidative stress reduction, decrease in LDL and total cholesterol, postprandial control of glucose levels, attenuation of insulin resistance, enhancement of saturation, stimulation of thermogenesis and fatty acids oxidation, etc. [21; 52; 53]. Another result of high importance, due to the lack of relevant studies with similar correlations, was that specific foods from the Mediterranean diet, such as red wine, tomato, sour cherry, strawberry, carrot, and red pepper, as well as cocoa and black tea, were correlated with improved anthropometric characteristics (BMI, body fat, and circumferences). A plethora of traditional functional foods from the Mediterranean diet have been studied for their potential effect on body composition, BMI, and circumferences, as well as biochemical biomarkers [39; 50; 51]. In a recent pilot interventional study, fortification of a spread cheese with polyphenols from mountain tea increased the postprandial total antioxidant capacity in healthy adults [52]. In another retrospective study, the daily consumption of fiber-rich foods from 301 young Greek adults was correlated with reduced BMI, body fat, and waist-to-hip ratio, while low-fat foods showed a negative association with body fat and body water. Furthermore, participants who consumed pompegranate, a common Mediterranean fruit, had a lower BMI than those who did not, whereas oat eating was linked to lower body fat and higher body water, and chocolate consumption was linked to lower BMI and increased body water [39]. This study is in accordance with the present study, in which cocoa and dark chocolate consumption was associated with reduced waist circumference. In parallel, our study observed that black tea consumption was correlated with decreased hip circumference. Tea, both green and black, is one of the richest beverages in polyphenols and appears to have strong antioxidant activity [8; 10]. Several studies have shown that tea may affect anthropometric indices. [PERSON] et al. concluded in a randomized controlled, double-blind study with 111 participants that regular ingestion of black tea over 3 months inhibited weight gain and reduced waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio [54]. Tea polyphenols may have a positive effect on obesity attenuation, due to their involvement in specific mechanisms, such as inhibition of digestion, absorption, and uptake of lipids and sugars, thus reducing calorie intake, promotion of lipid metabolism by activating AMP-activated protein kinase, attenuation of lipogenesis and enhancement of lipolysis, and reduction in lipid accumulation by inhibiting lipids differentiation and proliferation, as well as reduction in oxidative stress [21]. In the present study, sour cherry was correlated with reduced BMI and body fat, while strawberries were correlated with waist circumference. Several studies have shown the possible effect of berries on metabolic biomarkers. However, the studies about their effect on weight control are limited. More interventional and prospective studies are required on a larger number of individuals to get definite results about the effect of berries on weight management [21]. In a recent review study, the authors proposed a positive relationship between anthocyanin supplementation and anti-obesity effects [55]. Besides, anthocyanins from berries, red wine, and other Mediterranean fruits have been correlated with a possible protective effect on cardiovascular biomarkers [3]. Our study also showed that tomatoes correlated with decreased body fat, while carrots and red peppers were correlated with reduced circumferences. Specific carotenoids, such as lycopene of tomatoes and beta caroten of carrots, may restrain adipogenesis and adipocyte hypertrophy, while enhancing fat oxidation and energy expenditure in adipocytes, attenuating obesity in both animal and human studies.