Earlier studies also confirm that this diet is good for brain- According to a study in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals; a Mediterranean-style diet (MeDi) may be healthier for the brain. Researchers have discovered that a MeDi diet is associated with reduced damage of small blood vessels in the brain
What is Mediterranean Diet?
Europe has two broad nutritional styles - the Northern European and Southern European. The Mediterranean Diet is Southern European, and more specifically focuses on the eating habits of the people of Crete, much of Greece, and southern Italy. Today, Spain, southern France, and Portugal are also included; even though Portugal does not have a Mediterranean coast.
The Mediterranean diet is known to be low in saturated fat, high in monounsaturated fat, and high in dietary fiber.
What Mediterranean Diet includes:
Lots of plant foods
Fresh fruit as dessert
High consumption of beans, nuts, cereals and seeds
Olive oil as the main source of dietary fat
Cheese and yogurt as the main dairy foods
Moderate amounts of fish and poultry
No more than about four eggs each week
Small amounts of red meat each week (compared to northern Europe)
Low to moderate amounts of wine
25% to 35% of calorie intake consists of fat
Saturated fat makes up no more than 8% of calorie intake
Compared to other Western diets, the Mediterranean diet was seen by others as a bit of an enigma. Although fat consumption is high, the prevalence of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer and diabetes has always been significantly lower in Mediterranean countries than northern European countries and the USA.
All Benefits of the Mediterranean diet
Studies have been carried out which compare the health risks of developing certain diseases, depending on people's diets. People who adopted the Mediterranean diet have been compared with those who have an American or Northern European diet.
The following health benefits have been observed by people who have a Mediterranean diet:
Lower risk of raised cholesterol levels
Lower risk of becoming obese
Longer lifespan
Lower risk of dying at any age
Lower risk of dying from heart disease
Lower risk of dying from cancer
Lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes
Lower risk of hypertension (high blood pressure)
Lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease
Lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease
New Research- How A Mediterranean Diet Can Help Protect Bones
According to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM), going on a 2 year Mediterranean diet enhanced with olive oil can increase serum osteocalin concentrations, which can result in protecting a person's bones. Many women and men suffer from bone mass loss and a decrease in the strength of their bones as they get older, which often leads to osteoporosis and a high risk of fractures. However, studies have proven that in Europe, osteoporosis rates are much lower in the Mediterranean area.
A Mediterranean diet consists of many fruits and vegetables, is high in monosaturated fat and dietary fiber, as well as high in salt content. The diet tends to be low in saturated fats. Lead author of the study José Manuel Fernández-Real, MD, PhD from the Hospital Dr. Josep Trueta in Girona, Spain commented, the intake of olive oil has been related to the prevention of osteoporosis in experimental and in vitro models. This is the first randomized study which demonstrates that olive oil preserves bone, at least as inferred by circulating bone markers, in humans. The study consisted of 127 randomly selected men between the ages of 55 and 80 who had lived in their community for quite some time, and were involved in one of the PREDIMED study centers (Prevencion con Dieta Mediterranea). PREDIMED is a large, randomized, controlled trial which looks to find the effect of a Mediterranean diet in preventing cardiovascular problems.
The volunteers were all elderly and had never had cardiovascular problems, but were diabetics or had risks of cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension or dyslipidemia, or had a history of family members with premature cardiovascular disease. Those involved in the study were randomly assigned to 3 different intervention diet groups; a low fat diet group, a Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil group, or a Mediterranean diet with mixed nuts group.
The researchers took biochemical measurements of the following at baseline and after a follow up two years later on blood samples:
Glucose
Osteocalcin
Total Cholesterol
HDL-Cholesterol
Triglycerides
The measurements revealed that the Mediterranean diet with olive oil resulted in a large rise in the concentrations of total osteocalcin, as well as other bone-formation factors. Serum calcium levels decreased in the other two groups, but did not alter in the people who were in the Mediterranean diet with olive oil group. Fernández-Real concluded, It’s important to note that circulating osteocalcin was associated with preserved insulin secretion in subjects taking olive oil. Osteocalcin has also been described to increase insulin secretion in experimental models.
(Source- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism)
Why not try some Mediterranean diet Recipe Resources
The cookbooks and sites below will give you a good start in adding basic Mediterranean recipes to your repertoire. If you find you tend to favor, for example, Spanish food, you can also search for country-specific resources.
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