While Mediterranean cuisine regularly includes low to moderate amounts of dairy (often from traditional cheeses and yogurts), milk is not as prominent as it is in other eating patterns. Therefore, scientists are very interested in learning more about the bone health of those who follow a Mediterranean diet. To study this relationship, researchers analyzed the diets of 90,000 older women (ages 50-79) from the Women’s Health Initiative cohort for 15 years. They found that those most closely following a Mediterranean diet had a 20% lowered risk for hip fractures than those who did not eat a Mediterranean diet.
JAMA Internal Medicine. 2016 Mar 28. [Epub ahead of print] (Haring B, et al.)

Childhood obesity is a problem across the globe, so public health experts are working to instill the importance of good nutrition in kids from a young age. In a study in Parma, Italy, more than 8,100 children (ages 8-11) had 3 hours of nutrition lessons 3 different times each year, for 2 years in a row. The lessons consisted of hands-on board games and other toys, to help kids understand the importance of Mediterranean diet components, such as fruits and vegetables, or carbohydrates and fiber. After the lessons, student-answered questionnaires showed that cultural nutrition awareness improved for all grade levels. The researchers conclude that “A stable integration of this method in primary school settings could prepare a new generation of citizens, better educated on health-promotion lifestyles.”
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2016;67(2):207-15. (Rosi A et al.)

Seafood is a staple in many traditional diets, but many wonder if the health benefits of fish consumption outweigh the risk of mercury exposure. In a study of 334 infants in Ohio, researchers assessed the neurobehavior of infants and the fish intake and blood mercury levels in mothers and cord blood. The researchers “found minimal evidence of mercury associated detrimental effects” on the infants, with no statistically significant problems related to level of mercury consumption when other lifestyle and dietary factors were controlled for. In fact, the researchers also observed that the infants with higher (but still safe) blood mercury levels had better attention and less need for special handling, suggesting that the benefits of fish consumption may outweigh the risks of low-level mercury exposure.
Neurotoxicology and Teratology. 2016 Feb 12. Pii: S0892-0362(13)30007-1. (Xu Y et al.)

Spanish researchers randomly assigned 239 adults (half with metabolic syndrome, half without) to either a Mediterranean diet, or a low fat, high complex carbohydrate diet (with foods like pasta and cereals) for two years. They found that the Mediterranean diet was able to “restore potentially beneficial members of the gut microbiota,” in patients both with and without metabolic syndrome. The low fat, high complex carbohydrate diet did not result in as many positive changes in gut microbiota as the Mediterranean diet did, although some beneficial changes still occurred.
The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2016 Jan;27:27-31. (Haro C et al.)

Maintaining a healthy weight and optimal nutrition can be a struggle for patients with celiac disease, but nutritious diets can help. In a small Italian study, researchers assigned 39 celiac patients to a Mediterranean gluten-free diet. The scientists found that celiac patients following a gluten free diet based on the Mediterranean diet improved their nutritional status, without inducing overweight or obesity. In fact, two of the four malnourished celiac patients were able to reach a healthy BMI, without becoming overweight or obese.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2016 Jan;70(1):23-7. (Barone M et al.)

In a small study, Spanish researchers randomly assigned 20 obese men to either a Mediterranean diet, or a low fat, high complex carbohydrate diet (with foods like pasta and cereals) for a year. After a year on their respective diets, both groups saw increases in various gut microbes that are thought to be protective against type 2 diabetes (Roseburia and Parabacteroides  distasonis for Med diet, and Prevotella and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii for low fat, high complex carb diet). The Mediterranean diet group also increased their insulin sensitivity over the year, meaning that their bodies better respond to insulin.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2016 Jan;101(1):233-42. (Haro C et al.)

To see how diet during pregnancy affects the risk of childhood obesity, researchers analyzed data from over 1,800 mother-child pairs. They found that children were less likely to have a high waist circumference (a measure of abdominal obesity) at age 4 if their mothers were most closely following a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy. However, the researchers found no significant relationship between the expectant mothers’ diet and the subsequent BMI of their children in early childhood.
Pediatric Obesity. 2016 Jan 13. (Fernandez-Barres S) [Epub ahead of print]

Cooking vegetables in olive oil is a hallmark of the much-praised Mediterranean diet. To see how different cooking methods affect the antioxidant capacity of vegetables, Mexican researchers compared the antioxidant capacity in potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and pumpkin that were raw, deep fried in olive oil, sautéed in olive oil, or boiled. They found that the veggies deep fried in olive oil had the greatest total phenols, followed by the sautéed veggies, then the boiled veggies. The researchers suggest that “deep frying and sautéing conserve and enrich the phenolic composition.” That said, there is no “bad” way to eat vegetables. Rather, this research shows that if it takes a bit of olive oil to make vegetables most delicious to you, all the better.
Food Chemistry. 2015 Dec 1;188-430-8. (Ramirez-Anaya Jdel P et al).

Macular degeneration, an eye condition that can lead to blindness, has no cure or restorative treatment, so prevention is especially important. To study how diet is related to this condition, scientists analyzed the eating patterns of over 2,500 adults, then monitored their eye health for thirteen years. They found that those most closely following the Mediterranean diet (especially those people eating lots of fish and vegetables) were 26% less likely to progress to advanced age-related macular degeneration. Results varied by genetics, with certain gene carriers being more responsive to diet than others.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2015 Nov;102(5):1196-206. (Merle BM et al.)

Chinese researchers analyzed data from nine different studies with 1178 type 2 diabetes patients being treated with the Mediterranean diet. Compared with those on a control diet (which ranged from their usual diet, to a low fat diet, to a high carb diet, to the American Diabetes Association Diet), those on a Mediterranean diet had improved blood sugar control (hemoglobin A1c, fasting glucose, and fasting insulin), improved BMI and weight loss, lower total cholesterol, triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood), and blood pressure, and improved higher HDL (good) cholesterol.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2015 Nov;69:1200-1208. (R Huo et al.) [published online 2014 Nov 4]

Researchers assigned over 200 patients with well controlled type 2 diabetes who don’t normally drink alcohol to eat a Mediterranean diet, and drink 5 oz of either red wine, white wine, or mineral water with dinner for 2 years. The red wine group significantly increased good cholesterol (HDL and apolipoprotein A), and the white wine group significantly decreased fasting blood sugar. “Slow alcohol metabolizers” (based on whether they carry the ADH1B*1 allele) benefited from both red and white wine on their blood sugar control. Both wine groups had improved sleep quality compared with the water group. The researchers concluded that a Mediterranean diet with moderate wine intake “is apparently safe and modestly decreases cardiometabolic risk” in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Annals of Internal Medicine. 2015 Oct 20:163(8):569-79. (Gepner Y et al.)