The Mediterranean Diet

In these days wherein people are health-conscious and very particular with what they eat, people tend to compare different eating styles with different countries across the globe. A lot of people are striving to achieve a healthy, effective, practical and easy to adopt diet.  Mediterranean Diet is one healthy diet and is gaining popularity.  It was in 1990s when Mediterranean diet gained widespread recognition. An American doctor named Ancel Keys who was stationed in Salerno, Italy first publicized this diet in 1945.

From the point of view of mainstream nutrition, it is considered a paradox: Mediterranean countries consume high amounts of fat but they have lower rates of cardiovascular disease than in United States where similar levels of fat is consumed. Not all fat is regarded as bad in Mediterranean diet. It is not to limit total fat consumption but to make the wise choices about the type of fat in the diet. Since this type of diet strongly emphasizes eating whole, natural foods, it is extremely low in trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids are increasingly recognized as important contributors to coronary artery disease (CAD).

Approximately 16 countries are bordering the Mediterranean Sea and this diet is a collection of eating habits of people across the Mediterranean region. The characteristics common to all are: lots of fruit and vegetables, pasta, bread, potatoes, beans, seeds and nuts. Olive oil is used for cooking and dressing. Fish, poultry and red meat are used in moderation.

            Large consumption of olive oil dominates the Mediterranean meals. Red wine is also consumed and is a significant factor in reducing heart disease. Red wine has a wide-array of compounds with health promoting qualities called phytonutrients and one of them is polyphenols, a powerful antioxidants. Moderation in the intake of red wine means that for men, it is two glasses per day, and for women, it is one glass per day.

            Another component of the Mediterranean Diet is an active lifestyle. Hence, it is not surprising at all to see that regular exercise is included in the Mediterranean pyramid. This pyramid was published by Oldways, a group dedicated to preserving traditional eating patterns and members of the Harvard School of Public Health in the early 1990s as a result of the series of conferences and other activities conducted to popularize the Mediterranean pattern.

            A study published in the 2003 New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has discovered that Mediterranean diet indeed lowers death and disease risks. This resulted to FDA’s announcement that food could carry a health claim that consumers may be able to reduce the risk of heart disease if the food contains olive oil.  Alice Lichtenstein, director of Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tuffs and chair of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee has said that “The message remains the same, and is consistent with other findings: a diet lower in saturated fats and higher in unsaturated fats, will result in better health outcomes”.

Diet that is heart-friendly

            A study was conducted for four years wherein diets of more than 22,000 people living in Greece were ranked on how they follow the traditional Greek style Mediterranean diet. It was found that people who closely followed the traditional diet were less likely to die from either heart disease or cancer and have slightly greater protection against heart disease than cancer. 25% of people during the study period were less likely to die than those who did not follow the Mediterranean diet, a suggestion that people who follow the Mediterranean diet die later compared to those who do not.

            A dietary intervention of an Indo-Mediterranean diet was examined. It is consist of a control group using the National Cholesterol Education Programme step 1 diet and the same diet with additional recommendations to consume every day at least 400-500 grams of fruit, vegetables or walnuts or almonds a day, 400 -500 grams of whole grains and mustard seed or soy bean oil. All patients were Indians who has a documented history of coronary artery disease.

The Mediterranean diet has greatly influenced a long-tem survival over four years. Different analysis controlling for other risk factors showed that fish, fruit, vegetables, and olive oil has given the benefits.

            Another study conducted by the Lyon Diet Heart Study, they enrolled 605 patients who had survived a heart attack. Patients following the Mediterranean diet containing increased levels of both alpha-linolenic (omega-3 fatty acid and monounsaturated fats (sources are olive oil and nuts) had a fascinating 55% reduction in risk of death and a favorable 50% to 70% decreased risk of recurrent cardiac events. This is in comparison to patients eating a control diet.

            The study conducted by Ancel Keys which was entitled Seven Countries Study is the greatest ever performed. Data were gathered on heart disease and its potential causes from nearly 13,000 men in Greece, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Japan, Finland, the Netherlands, and the United States. This was undertaken over decades. A conclusion was reached that people from the Mediterranean enjoyed significant health advantages. In all age brackets, they had lower mortality rates. A classic example is the rates of heart disease for Greek men (ages 50-54) who were 90% lower than that of Americans.

This type of diet is concluded by several noted nutritionists and research projects to be the most healthful in preventing cancer, heart disease, and increasing life expectancy.

            Sufficient evidence exists that the Mediterranean diet is a diet for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. This is easier to follow than other diets. It is widely practical and effective in heart disease prevention. It can be maintained on a long-term basis because it does not restrict total amounts of fat or carbohydrate.

References

Mediterranean Diet.  Wikipedia- the Free Encyclopedia.  2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Mediterranean Diet>

Trichopoulou A, Costacou T, Bamia C, Trichopoulos D. (2003) Adherence to a

            Mediterranean diet and survival in a Greek population. New England Journal of

            Medicine 348:2599-2608

de Lorgeril M, Salen P, Martin JL, et al. Mediterranean diet, traditional risk factors, and

the rate of cardiovascular complications after myocardial infarction: final report of the Lyon Diet Heart Study. Circulation 1999; 99 (6): 779-85

Marchioli R, Barzi F, Bomba E, et al. Early protection against sudden death by n-3

polyunsaturated fatty acids after myocardial infarction. Circulation 2002; 105:1897-903

Mediterranean Diet Evidence. Bandolier. August 2003; 114-2

            <http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band114/b114-3.html>

Mediterranean Diet. Answers from Information.

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