Mediterranean Diet
There are tens of thousands of articles on diet and the Mediterranean diet in particular has received a great deal of attention. The Mayo Clinic says "The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy eating plan combining elements of Mediterranean-style cooking. The Mediterranean diet is thought to reduce your risk of heart disease."
The Clinic lists the key components of this diet as:
The Mediterranean Diet
Lose weight and lower your blood pressure
The Mediterranean Diet is a low carbohydrate diet that is more effective for those who are dieting. The research project on dieters used 322 slightly obese Israelis. The results were written by a professor at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, Meir Stampler. She states that the most important result of the group project was that if you are trying to lose weight, start with a low carbohydrate or Mediterranean Diet for best results.
The research done on the 322 Israelis showed that a diet of fruits, vegetables, fish, yogurt, and olive oils was a safe way of losing weight. The project was a two year study done by Harvard and was published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Two points of view on the study that might detract from its impact are the fact that most of the 322 Israelis were men. Since men have more muscle and less fat, losing weight is easier for them then for women. Another opposition point is that regardless of what foods you consume, the bottom line is that in losing weight, what counts is the calories you consume.
The 322 Israelis work at a Dimona, Israel, research plant. They were assigned to either the low fat group or the low carbohydrate or Mediterranean Diet and given instructions on what to eat. For both groups, Women were told to limit their calories to 1500 a day and men to 1800 a day.
The low fat group had to limit their consumption of fat to 30% of their diet, and the low carbohydrate group to 35% of their diet.
Those on the Mediterranean Diet had to count their carbohydrates separately from their other calories. They were to limit their intake of carbohydrates to 20 grams a day. Their carbohydrate intake was increased to 120 grams per day.
All three groups lost weight, and there was little variation in the amount of weight lost. All three groups showed improvement in blood pressure and all three groups did better with their leptin hormone level. The low carbohydrate diet proved more significant in lowering unhealthy fats that can lead to heart ailments.
All participants improved their waistlines and all tested with better blood pressure levels. Their was little difference in blood pressure levels in all three groups. Neither group decreased bad cholesterol levels more significantly than the others.
The Mediterranean Diet proved to be a more sustainable diet and improved blood pressure as significantly as a low fat diet. Since it was the easiest diet to stay with, it was recommended as the diet to choose for losing weight.
Valery Fortie is the National Awareness Coordinator of Mediterraneanbook.com
Click here to check out their blog.
From John's Hopkins Medical Alerts
Sign up
to get your own alert here.
The Clinic lists the key components of this diet as:
- Getting plenty of exercise and eating your meals with family and friends
- Eating a generous amount of fruits and vegetables
- Consuming healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil
- Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods
- Eating small portions of nuts
- Drinking red wine, in moderation, for some
- Consuming very little red meat
- Eating fish or shellfish at least twice a week
The Mediterranean Diet
Lose weight and lower your blood pressure
The Mediterranean Diet is a low carbohydrate diet that is more effective for those who are dieting. The research project on dieters used 322 slightly obese Israelis. The results were written by a professor at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, Meir Stampler. She states that the most important result of the group project was that if you are trying to lose weight, start with a low carbohydrate or Mediterranean Diet for best results.
The research done on the 322 Israelis showed that a diet of fruits, vegetables, fish, yogurt, and olive oils was a safe way of losing weight. The project was a two year study done by Harvard and was published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Two points of view on the study that might detract from its impact are the fact that most of the 322 Israelis were men. Since men have more muscle and less fat, losing weight is easier for them then for women. Another opposition point is that regardless of what foods you consume, the bottom line is that in losing weight, what counts is the calories you consume.
The 322 Israelis work at a Dimona, Israel, research plant. They were assigned to either the low fat group or the low carbohydrate or Mediterranean Diet and given instructions on what to eat. For both groups, Women were told to limit their calories to 1500 a day and men to 1800 a day.
The low fat group had to limit their consumption of fat to 30% of their diet, and the low carbohydrate group to 35% of their diet.
Those on the Mediterranean Diet had to count their carbohydrates separately from their other calories. They were to limit their intake of carbohydrates to 20 grams a day. Their carbohydrate intake was increased to 120 grams per day.
All three groups lost weight, and there was little variation in the amount of weight lost. All three groups showed improvement in blood pressure and all three groups did better with their leptin hormone level. The low carbohydrate diet proved more significant in lowering unhealthy fats that can lead to heart ailments.
All participants improved their waistlines and all tested with better blood pressure levels. Their was little difference in blood pressure levels in all three groups. Neither group decreased bad cholesterol levels more significantly than the others.
The Mediterranean Diet proved to be a more sustainable diet and improved blood pressure as significantly as a low fat diet. Since it was the easiest diet to stay with, it was recommended as the diet to choose for losing weight.
Valery Fortie is the National Awareness Coordinator of Mediterraneanbook.com
Click here to check out their blog.
From John's Hopkins Medical Alerts
Sign up
to get your own alert here.
The Brain-Healthy Eating Plan
Are there dietary eating plans that are both heart- and brain-healthy? Dr. Roger S. Blumenthal answers this important question in a recent issue of the Memory Disorders Bulletin.
Recent research strongly suggests that dietary changes -- in particular, the adoption of a Mediterranean-style eating plan -- can help prevent the onset or else slow the rate of cognitive decline. The Mediterranean diet consists of foods traditionally consumed by people living along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Over the past decade, a number of studies have linked the Mediterranean diet with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension. For example, an important Spanish study on the Mediterranean diet, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found a 30 percent reduction in heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths in high-risk people who consumed the Mediterranean diet, compared with those eating a "low-fat diet." That's similar to the risk reduction seen with statin drugs.
Not surprisingly, foods that are good for your heart are also good for your brain. A study published in the Annals of Neurology reported that among 2,258 participants (average age 76), those who closely followed the Mediterranean diet had a 40 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's disease than those with the least adherence after four years. Partial observation of the Mediterranean diet proved to have benefits, too, reducing the risk by 15 percent.
The Mediterranean diet may also keep those who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from progressing to Alzheimer's disease. A recent study published in the Archives of Neurology reported that among people with MCI, the risk of developing Alzheimer's over a four-year period was 48 percent lower for those who adhered strictly to a Mediterranean diet. Those who adhered moderately to the diet had a 45 percent lower risk.
Recent research strongly suggests that dietary changes -- in particular, the adoption of a Mediterranean-style eating plan -- can help prevent the onset or else slow the rate of cognitive decline. The Mediterranean diet consists of foods traditionally consumed by people living along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Over the past decade, a number of studies have linked the Mediterranean diet with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension. For example, an important Spanish study on the Mediterranean diet, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found a 30 percent reduction in heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths in high-risk people who consumed the Mediterranean diet, compared with those eating a "low-fat diet." That's similar to the risk reduction seen with statin drugs.
Not surprisingly, foods that are good for your heart are also good for your brain. A study published in the Annals of Neurology reported that among 2,258 participants (average age 76), those who closely followed the Mediterranean diet had a 40 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's disease than those with the least adherence after four years. Partial observation of the Mediterranean diet proved to have benefits, too, reducing the risk by 15 percent.
The Mediterranean diet may also keep those who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from progressing to Alzheimer's disease. A recent study published in the Archives of Neurology reported that among people with MCI, the risk of developing Alzheimer's over a four-year period was 48 percent lower for those who adhered strictly to a Mediterranean diet. Those who adhered moderately to the diet had a 45 percent lower risk.
The Mediterranean diet is characterized by:
- smaller portion sizes than a Western diet
- a focus on fresh rather than processed foods
- a high intake of plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grain
- moderate amounts of nuts, olive oil and fish, which are high in healthy monounsaturated and omega-3 fats
- moderate consumption of wine, typically with meals
- regular consumption of skinless poultry and low-fat dairy in smaller portions
- infrequent consumption of meat, which is high in saturated fats, and sweets
Clinical Study Finds Mediterranean Diet Boosts Brain Power
The study involved 447 cognitively healthy participants, 55 to 80 years of age, who were divided into three groups. Two groups followed the Mediterranean diet and added either 30 grams of mixed nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds) a day, or five tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil a day. The third group, acting as a control, was advised to follow a low-fat diet. The subjects were followed for a median of just over four years.
The results showed that, compared with the control group, memory function remained stronger in the Mediterranean diet plus nuts group, while frontal (attention and executive function) and global cognition benefited in the Mediterranean diet plus olive oil group.
The diminished decline in cognitive function likely stems from the abundance of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents found in the supplemental foods. Olive oil and nuts are rich in phenolic compounds that might counteract oxidative processes in the brain, leading to neurodegeneration, the study said.
To see the JAMA Abstract check this URL http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2293082
The results showed that, compared with the control group, memory function remained stronger in the Mediterranean diet plus nuts group, while frontal (attention and executive function) and global cognition benefited in the Mediterranean diet plus olive oil group.
The diminished decline in cognitive function likely stems from the abundance of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents found in the supplemental foods. Olive oil and nuts are rich in phenolic compounds that might counteract oxidative processes in the brain, leading to neurodegeneration, the study said.
To see the JAMA Abstract check this URL http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2293082