Has the Mediterranean Diet Fad Run Its Course?
Atkins peaked in 2003.? Detox is on the way out.? Remember Macrobiotics from the 80s?? What about Mediterranean eating?
The Mediterranean diet was popular in the 1970s thanks to Ancel Keys.? It faded for a couple decades then?started a mini-peak around 2000 in response to some supportive scientific studies.
A recent article in the American Journal of Epidemiology sheds light on whether the time-honored Mediterranean way of eating deserves ongoing credibility.
Researchers in Spain examined the cardiovascular health and diet of over 40,000 Spaniard adults, wondering if Mediterranean-style eating had any effect.? Average age at the time of enrollment was 49; follow-up time was 10 years.? Among these study participants, 609 suffered a heart attack or severe chest pain requiring medical intervention (unstable angina).? Nine of the heart patients?died.
Did the diets of the heart patients differ from those apparently free of heart disease?
Yes.? People eating the traditional Mediterranean diet,compared to those with low adherence, were only about half as likely to suffer a first heart disease-related event.? The specific reduction was 40%.? They also noted that incorporating just a few of the Mediterranean diet components reduced the risk of a cardiac event.
I know of similar results from multiple countries on?two or three?continents.? Mediterranean-style eating also seems to reduce death rates and chronic diseases such as dementia, strokes, and type 2 diabetes.
So the Mediterranean diet doesn’t seem to be? flash in the pan.? Nevertheless, I’m astounded by the numbe of heart patients I meet who know little about this healthy diet.
The main components of the Mediterranean diet are1) plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, 2) olive oil as the predominant fat, 3) fish is favored over meat, 4) low to moderate amounts of alcohol, especially red wine, 5) low to moderate amounts of yogurt and cheese, and 6) low consumption of red meat.
Epicurious has some great recipes to get you started on Mediterranean eating.
You may also reduce your heart disease risk?with the tips in?NutritionData’s Heart Health Section.
-Steve Parker, M.D.
Disclaimer:? All matters regarding your health require supervision by a personal physician or other appropriate health professional familiar with your current health status.? Always consult your personal physician before making any dietary or exercise changes.
Reference:? Buckland, Genevieve, et al.? Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and risk of coronary heart disease in the Spanish EPIC Cohort Study.? American Journal of Epidemiology, 170 (2009): 1,518-1,529.
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