At Mediterranean diet is well-known for its link with heart health, but researchers wanted to see how this tried-and-true eating pattern stacks up against other popular diet plans, like low carb or low sodium. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers analyzed 40 studies in which a total of more than 35,000 people at risk of heart disease were randomly assigned to 7 different popular diets or a minimal intervention control group, to see which popular diets are most effective of preventing heart disease and mortality. They found that Mediterranean diets reduce the risk of all-cause mortality by 28%, heart disease mortality by 45%, stroke by 35%, and nonfatal heart attacks by 52%. Mediterranean diets were more effective than any other diet studied, many of which were no better than the control group.
BMJ. 2023 Mar 29;380:e072003. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2022-072003. (Karam G et al.)