I have often spoken of the advantage of the Mediterranean Diet in improving health, particularly in reducing cardiovascular disease. More confirmation of this comes from a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine:
Medpage-Mediterranean Diet Study
"Eating a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil and nuts lowered the rate of major cardiovascular events, at least among people at increased risk for heart disease, researchers reported.
In a randomized trial in Spain in high-risk people, those who ate the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or mixed nuts saw a reduction in the rate of major cardiovascular events by nearly 30% compared with a control group eating a low-fat diet, according to Ramón Estruch, MD, PhD, of the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, and colleagues.
The results support the use of the Mediterranean diet for "primary prevention" of heart disease, the researchers wrote online in the New England Journal of Medicine."
The Mediterranean diet recommended for the study had olive oil, fruit, nuts, vegetables, legumes, some fish and poultry, and limited amounts of dairy products, red meat, soda drinks, processed meats, and sweets.
This study is interesting in that they compared a "low fat" diet with a Mediterranean diet high in olive oil, fish and nuts. The results show that it is not the amount of fat but the kinds of fat in your diet. Olive oil, fish and nuts contain large amounts of healthy unsaturated and mono-saturated oils. The Mediterranean Diet also has reduced amounts of saturated fats from meat and dairy. This reinforces my belief that it is saturated fat from farm animals (beef, chicken, pork, etc.) that is the major contributor to heart disease and (as other studies have shown) cancer and metabolic disorders.
Eat fish, fruit, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. Avoid meat, dairy and sugar.
Medpage-Mediterranean Diet Study
"Eating a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil and nuts lowered the rate of major cardiovascular events, at least among people at increased risk for heart disease, researchers reported.
In a randomized trial in Spain in high-risk people, those who ate the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or mixed nuts saw a reduction in the rate of major cardiovascular events by nearly 30% compared with a control group eating a low-fat diet, according to Ramón Estruch, MD, PhD, of the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, and colleagues.
The results support the use of the Mediterranean diet for "primary prevention" of heart disease, the researchers wrote online in the New England Journal of Medicine."
The Mediterranean diet recommended for the study had olive oil, fruit, nuts, vegetables, legumes, some fish and poultry, and limited amounts of dairy products, red meat, soda drinks, processed meats, and sweets.
This study is interesting in that they compared a "low fat" diet with a Mediterranean diet high in olive oil, fish and nuts. The results show that it is not the amount of fat but the kinds of fat in your diet. Olive oil, fish and nuts contain large amounts of healthy unsaturated and mono-saturated oils. The Mediterranean Diet also has reduced amounts of saturated fats from meat and dairy. This reinforces my belief that it is saturated fat from farm animals (beef, chicken, pork, etc.) that is the major contributor to heart disease and (as other studies have shown) cancer and metabolic disorders.
Eat fish, fruit, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. Avoid meat, dairy and sugar.
