Mediterranean Diet
So how good is the Mediterranean Diet for you?
The Mediterranean diet emerged out of the countries of the Mediterranean area, particularly Southern Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Turkey, and Spain. This diet is rich in fruit and vegetables, bread, olive oil, fish, nuts and seeds, and moderate quantities of red wine. So, why do many people go for the Mediterranean Diet? Well, let’s take a look at what the diet consists of:
- High consumption of olive oil (emphasis on consuming monounsaturated fat).
- High consumption of fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals (such as pasta, beans, nuts and seeds).
- Moderate consumption of fish and poultry.
- Moderate consumption of wine (two to three times a week).
- Low consumption of eggs and red meat.
According to the American Heart Association, Mediterranean-style diets are often close to the dietary recommendations, but they don’t follow them exactly. In general, they contain a relatively high percentage of calories from fat, which is thought to contribute to the increasing obesity in these countries.
Benefits
- This diet includes whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables.
- You can eat a wide-range of foods.
- More than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats (mainly from olive oil). Monounsaturated fat doesn't raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does.
- The incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean countries is lower than in the North America. But this may not be entirely due to the diet, because lifestyle factors may also play a part.
- Additional testing has concluded that olive oil can markedly lower blood glucose levels, which is crucial for those fighting diabetes.
Risks
- More studies need to be conducted in order to find out whether the diet itself or other lifestyle factors account for the lower mortality as a result of heart disease.
- This diet plan has not yet been evaluated as a long-term strategy for heart disease prevention.
What do experts say about the diet?
According to a recent study conducted in the Netherlands, a
high-fat olive oil diet was far superior to an ordinary low-fat diet
in controlling levels of cholesterol. Olive oil has antioxidant
characteristics that help inhibit the process that produces LDL (the
bad-type of cholesterol), explaining why olive oil is considered a
good heart attack prevention ingredient. Furthermore, olive oil’s
antioxidant capabilities can also inhibit the development of certain
types of cancers among many other heath problems.
As recently as June 2003 a study involving 22,043 adults in Greece
was printed in the New England Journal of Medicine. It concluded
that: "... adherence to the traditional (eastern)
"Mediterranean Diet" is associated with a significant
reduction in mortality." If eaten with portion control, this
diet can lead to weight loss as well.
The Lyon Diet Heart Study was a randomized, controlled study, with the
main objective to test the effectiveness of a Mediterranean-type diet
on the rate of coronary events in people who've had a first heart
attack. The results suggest that a Mediterranean-style diet may help
reduce recurrent events in patients with heart disease. This study
shows the potential importance of a dietary pattern that emphasizes
fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, and fish.
Sources
- American Heart Association. Mediterranean Diet. Retrieved Nov 2, 2006
from http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4644 - Bamia, C. Costacou, T. Trichopoulou, A. Trichopoulos, D. The New England Journal of Medicine.
Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet and Survival in a Greek Population . Retrieved Nov 3, 2006
from http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/348/26/2599 - Wikipedia. Mediterranean Diet. Retrieved Nov 2, 2006
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_diet
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