Fig. 3

Multivariate models for the assessment of the associations between nutritional components of the green-MED diet with changes in VAT% adjusted for age and sex. Mankai consumption was adjusted for age and referred to the green-MED group only. Mankai consumption categories (18 months): low/non: ≤ 1/week, medium: 2–3/week, and high: > 3/week; walnut consumption categories (18 months): low/non: 0 to 1–3 times/month, medium: 1–2/week to 3–4/week, and high: more than 5–6/week; serum folate tertiles (of 18-month change in serum folate, ng/dL): lower ≤ − 0.41, medium − 0.40 to 1.46, and top ≥ 1.47; fiber consumption tertiles (18-month change, g): lower ≤ − 6.73, medium − 6.72 to − 0.17, and top ≥ − 0.16; plasma polyphenol tertiles (18 months, mg/L): lower ≤ 0.23, medium 0.24 to 0.47, and top ≥ 0.48; specific polyphenols (urine and plasma) and VAT change after 18 months of intervention adjusted for age and sex: urine urolithin-A delta 18 months compared to baseline (log2) tertiles: T1 ≤ 0, T2 = 0 to 4.92, and T3 = 4.92+. r = − 0.241, p < 0.001, q = 0.00036 (MC -139 metabolites). Plasma Hippuric-acid tertiles (time18, mg/L): T1 ≤ 0.21, T2 = 0.21 to 0.44, and T3 = 0.44+. *Significant differences between the groups at the 0.05 level. VAT, visceral adipose tissue