Are you a follower of the Mediterranean way of eating, the MedDiet? This diet makes great nutrition news again.
A new study , published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA, his week shows that a high adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a 23% lower risk of all-cause mortality.
The study, which is a cohort study from the Women’s Health Study, analysed diets of over 25,000 women, with a follow-up of 25 years, to investigate the role of Mediterranean diet in disease risk. A higher consumption of the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 23% reduction in mortality from all diseases.
The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet have been reported in multiple studies before. What is different in this research?
This time, the research team wanted to examine evidence of any biological changes that may explain why Mediterranean diet protects us against cancers and cardiovascular diseases - the two highest risks of death worldwide. Public health professionals have been investigating the role of diets on the risks of cardiovascular disease since early last century. Cardiovascular disease deaths have been the leading cause of death since the 50s. According to the British Heart Foundation deaths from heart disease in the UK have risen to a 14-year high. These include premature deaths from heart attacks, coronary heart disease and stroke.
The Mediterranean diet has been shown effective in reducing inflammation and preventing cardiovascular risks, including ischaemic heart disease, also known as the coronary heart disease, myocardial infraction and heart failure.
The cohort from the present study found that the changes in people’s health biomarkers were statistically significant, they were the markers for metabolism, inflammation and insulin resistance.The biomarkers of metabolism and inflammation made the largest contribution to a healthier profile, while the standard cholesterol markers (high density lipoprotein, HDL, low density lipoprotein, LDL, and apolipoproteins) and also glycemic measures showed only minimal contributions. Other biological measures included branched-chain amino acids, hypertension and body mass index.
What are the main characteristics of the Mediterranean diet and why compared to the low-fat, low-carb and DASH diets it trumps the results for the lowest risk of mortality?
A new study , published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA, his week shows that a high adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a 23% lower risk of all-cause mortality.
The study, which is a cohort study from the Women’s Health Study, analysed diets of over 25,000 women, with a follow-up of 25 years, to investigate the role of Mediterranean diet in disease risk. A higher consumption of the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 23% reduction in mortality from all diseases.
The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet have been reported in multiple studies before. What is different in this research?
This time, the research team wanted to examine evidence of any biological changes that may explain why Mediterranean diet protects us against cancers and cardiovascular diseases - the two highest risks of death worldwide. Public health professionals have been investigating the role of diets on the risks of cardiovascular disease since early last century. Cardiovascular disease deaths have been the leading cause of death since the 50s. According to the British Heart Foundation deaths from heart disease in the UK have risen to a 14-year high. These include premature deaths from heart attacks, coronary heart disease and stroke.
The Mediterranean diet has been shown effective in reducing inflammation and preventing cardiovascular risks, including ischaemic heart disease, also known as the coronary heart disease, myocardial infraction and heart failure.
The cohort from the present study found that the changes in people’s health biomarkers were statistically significant, they were the markers for metabolism, inflammation and insulin resistance.The biomarkers of metabolism and inflammation made the largest contribution to a healthier profile, while the standard cholesterol markers (high density lipoprotein, HDL, low density lipoprotein, LDL, and apolipoproteins) and also glycemic measures showed only minimal contributions. Other biological measures included branched-chain amino acids, hypertension and body mass index.
What are the main characteristics of the Mediterranean diet and why compared to the low-fat, low-carb and DASH diets it trumps the results for the lowest risk of mortality?
The Mediterranean way of eating relies on 3 main features that distinguish it from the western diets, such as SAD (Standard American) and TED (Typical English) diets.
Fist, there is the abundance of healthy fats which come from eating fish, seafood and nuts and seeds. These provide essential Omega-3 sources shown in many studies to fight systemic inflammation and improve the health of arteries and veins.
It also has a high consumption of fibre-rich foods - fruit and vegetables, which have health-protective phytonutrients (plant compounds), providing high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits. For example, flavonoids, found in grapes, apples and tomatoes among many protect against cancers and heart disease. Glucosinolates, found in spinach, broccoli and cabbage, not only help prevent several cancers, but they also increase chances of cancer survival as they reduce the risk of tumour spreading. Short-chain fatty acids, SCFAs, created from metabolism of fibre in the intestine help reduce inflammation and protect against cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Most importantly though, the Mediterranean diet relies on using olive oil as the main oil both for eating and cooking with. Olive oil is rich in oleic acid, which has been shown to lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancers. A review published last year showed that consumption of olive oil offered a 14 % reduction in the cardiovascular events and an 18 % lower risk of coronary heart disease. Consuming olive oil regularly lowers oxidative stress, inflammation, prevents high blood pressure and improves endothelial function and cholesterol markers.
Not only the Mediterranean diet is health protective it is also a super delicious way of eating, I simply cannot get enough of its flavours. Take for example the tricolore salad: tomato, avocado, mozzarella & basil. The sweet juicy red tomatoes, the smooth velvety avocado and the creamy mozzarella plus aromatic basil make it a favourite of my family and my clients and patients. Or take my favourite risotto agli asparagi (asparagus risotto). he flavours of this dish are amazing, you get the real herby green goodness, yet from the traditional approach to metabolism with its glycemic measures, this recipe has white rice, which one could argue is not that healthy.
And what about Greek salad? I have yet to find people who don’t love it.
With every person who has come to me with a chronic health condition, be it hypertension, IBS, gastritis or high cholesterol, the Mediterranean diet is the only nutritional approach I advocate. It is delicious, super nutritious, does not exclude any food groups and what’s most importantly, once you know its key principles, it is so easy to incorporate into your daily life.
The Greek meaning for “diet” is way of eating. The Mediterranean diet is exactly that: it is not about restriction or avoidance of foods, it is a way of living. Food is enjoyable, food is fun.
If you have inflammatory conditions and you struggle to get your diet right, reach out. I would be happy to help. See various ways of working with me here:
Love,
Katya
Fist, there is the abundance of healthy fats which come from eating fish, seafood and nuts and seeds. These provide essential Omega-3 sources shown in many studies to fight systemic inflammation and improve the health of arteries and veins.
It also has a high consumption of fibre-rich foods - fruit and vegetables, which have health-protective phytonutrients (plant compounds), providing high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits. For example, flavonoids, found in grapes, apples and tomatoes among many protect against cancers and heart disease. Glucosinolates, found in spinach, broccoli and cabbage, not only help prevent several cancers, but they also increase chances of cancer survival as they reduce the risk of tumour spreading. Short-chain fatty acids, SCFAs, created from metabolism of fibre in the intestine help reduce inflammation and protect against cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Most importantly though, the Mediterranean diet relies on using olive oil as the main oil both for eating and cooking with. Olive oil is rich in oleic acid, which has been shown to lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancers. A review published last year showed that consumption of olive oil offered a 14 % reduction in the cardiovascular events and an 18 % lower risk of coronary heart disease. Consuming olive oil regularly lowers oxidative stress, inflammation, prevents high blood pressure and improves endothelial function and cholesterol markers.
Not only the Mediterranean diet is health protective it is also a super delicious way of eating, I simply cannot get enough of its flavours. Take for example the tricolore salad: tomato, avocado, mozzarella & basil. The sweet juicy red tomatoes, the smooth velvety avocado and the creamy mozzarella plus aromatic basil make it a favourite of my family and my clients and patients. Or take my favourite risotto agli asparagi (asparagus risotto). he flavours of this dish are amazing, you get the real herby green goodness, yet from the traditional approach to metabolism with its glycemic measures, this recipe has white rice, which one could argue is not that healthy.
And what about Greek salad? I have yet to find people who don’t love it.
With every person who has come to me with a chronic health condition, be it hypertension, IBS, gastritis or high cholesterol, the Mediterranean diet is the only nutritional approach I advocate. It is delicious, super nutritious, does not exclude any food groups and what’s most importantly, once you know its key principles, it is so easy to incorporate into your daily life.
The Greek meaning for “diet” is way of eating. The Mediterranean diet is exactly that: it is not about restriction or avoidance of foods, it is a way of living. Food is enjoyable, food is fun.
If you have inflammatory conditions and you struggle to get your diet right, reach out. I would be happy to help. See various ways of working with me here:
Love,
Katya
