Mediterranean diet

An interesting discussion regarding the benefits of the Mediterranean diet was presented by Medical News Monthly blog on July 2, 2014.  The following is a summary of that post:

The Mediterranean diet is derived from the traditional diets of Greece, southern Italy and Spain.  Its uniqueness relates to the use of olive oil, daily consumption of nuts, legumes, fruits and vegetables.  The people in the Mediterranean countries in addition to local produce eat moderate amount of fish, meat such as poultry and dairy products (mostly as cheese and yogurt).  They also drink moderately mostly wine and/or spirits. 

The incidence of heart disease and death rates in Mediterranean countries is lower than in the United States.  Although diet appears to have a role, other factors such as genetic, lifestyle, physical activity and extended social and family support systems may also play a part.

Findings from the following two studies are supportive of the beneficial effect the Mediterranean diet has in our health.

In a study from Spain that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the effect of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of cardiovascular disease was evaluated. A total of 7447 persons were assigned, to one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts, or a control diet (advice to reduce dietary fat). The group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil experienced 96 events while and the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with nuts experienced 83 events, respectively, versus 109 events in the control group.

Another study from the USA that was also published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that people who ate a daily handful of nuts were less likely to die from any cause over a 30-year period and were more slender than those who didn’t consume nuts.  The researchers report a 29% reduction in deaths from heart disease and an 11% reduction in death rate from cancer.