Established 2005
Well, to begin with, there isn't
really any one
Mediterranean Diet! There's a whole swag of countries bordering the
Mediterranean Sea. The basic Mediterranean Diet has common characteristics
even if the surrounding countries differ in culture, language and recipes to
some extent.
* an extensive intake of fruits, vegetables, bread and cereals,
potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds
* olive oil is a source of mono-unsaturated fat - common to the
Mediterranean area
* some dairy products, fish and even poultry are consumed in sparing to
moderate amounts, and some red meat (not much)
* eggs are consumed in low to moderate amount say 1 to 4 eggs a week
* fortunately wine is acceptable but in low quantities i.e. 1 - 3 glasses per
day
A good question to ask is - Does a Mediterranean-style diet follow American
Heart Association dietary guidelines?
Mediterranean-style diets are often close to US dietary guidelines, but not
exactly.
People who follow the average Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than
those who eat the average American diet. In fact, saturated fat consumption
is well within US dietary guidelines. More than half the fat calories in a
Mediterranean diet come from mono-unsaturated fats (mainly from olive oil).
Mono-unsaturated 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 United States. Death rates are lower, too. However there are some who
feel this may not be entirely due to the diet. Lifestyle factors (i.e. more
physical activity and extended social family support structures) may also
play a part. At this stage this is just a theory. However the research tells
all - the diet has existed for umpteen years.
If you would like further proof of the Mediterranean diet benefits resulting
from research and qualified researchers you could try visiting
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/348/26/2599 or
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/67/80070.htm.
Both of these sites give good
'food for thought' (excuse the pun).
"Olive oil plays a central role, but it is not alone," says Dimitrios
Trichopoulos, MD, PhD, of Harvard School of Public Health.
"It's among the divine mix of several factors that, when used in
combination, help provide strong evidence of something that is very
important -- eating the proper diet can significantly reduce your risk of
early death."
He and researchers from Greece studied some 22,000 adults, aged 20 to 86,
from all regions of that country; most previous studies tracked only older
people who were more likely to die during the study. The participants
answered detailed questionnaires about their eating habits throughout the
four-year study. Then they were rated on how closely they followed the key
principles of the Mediterranean diet.
Sticking to the Mediterranean diet cut the risk of death from both heart
disease and cancer. For every two points higher on this 0-to-9 scale -- with
top numbers going to those most closely following the Mediterranean diet --
the death rate dropped by 25%.
The findings by Trichopoulos may also help explain why Asians, who typically
use these other cooking oils, also have lower disease and death rates.
Although they rarely use olive oil, they traditionally follow other
principles of the Mediterranean diet -- lots of produce, legumes, nuts, and
minimally processed grains, with little saturated fat.
"The message remains the same, and is consistent with other findings: A diet
lower in saturated fats and higher in monounsaturated fats, and potentially,
polyunsaturates, will result in better health outcomes," says Alice
H.Lichtenstein, DSc, of Tufts University and a spokeswoman for the American
Heart Association.
"If the main message that Americans get is to just increase their olive or
canola oil consumption, that's unfortunate because they will increase their
caloric intake and they are already getting too many calories. What they
need to do is eat more fruits, vegetables, and legumes and fewer foods rich
in saturated fats."
Some of this information has been referenced from The New England Journal of
Medicine, June 26, 2003. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, MD, PhD, professor of
epidemiology, Vincent L. Gregory Professor of Cancer Prevention, Harvard
School of Public Health, Boston. Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, senior
scientist and director, Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA
Human Nutrition Researcher Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston;
spokeswoman, American
Heart Association.
So in a nutshell, there is sound evidence that the Mediterranean Diet can
help reduce heart disease, cancer, weight gain and of course reduce the risk
of early death. However, it would be a mistake to think this outcome is
based on the use of Olive Oil alone. The diet is diverse and allows for
taste and creativity
which is often lacking in most other diets. This alone warrants further
investigation from those who seek a healthy, easy diet that has flavor and
is fulfilling. Remember too that just as in all worthwhile diets, moderate
level exercise should not be overlooked.
Publisher & author: Roy Barker.
Roy
has an in depth and long established background with the vitamins, minerals
and health industry and has researched and experimented with many diets over
a thirty year period. Roy is also the author of Safe and Easy Weightloss, a
downloadable e-book based on the popular Mediterranean Diet. It can be
viewed at
http://www.safe-and-easy-weightloss.com.