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Med Diet Cuts Heart Disease Risk by Nearly Half

Researchers have given us yet another reason to fill our plates with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and nuts! A European study followed more than 2,500 Greek adults for over a decade, tracking their medical records, lifestyle habits, and eating patterns. Those who most closely followed the Mediterranean Diet were 47% less likely to get heart disease, regardless of their smoking habits, age, family history, or other lifestyle factors. The scientists estimate that every one-point increase on the Mediterranean Diet score (a measure of how closely participants followed the Mediterranean Diet, on a scale of 1 to 55) is associated with a 3 percent drop in heart disease risk, so every little bit counts. In fact, the researchers found that the Mediterranean Diet was even more protective against heart disease than physical activity!
Presentation at the American College of Cardiology’s 64th Annual Scientific Session. San Diego CA. March 15, 2015.

Med Diet May Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk by Half

The Mediterranean diet, famous for its link with healthy aging, may also cut the risk for Alzheimer’s. Researchers studied the relationship between eating patterns and Alzheimer’s in 923 retired adults in Chicago over an average of 4.5 years.  The scientists rated participants’ diets based on how closely they adhered to the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet (a healthy diet used to treat hypertension that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy, and limited sweets and salt) and the MIND diet. The MIND diet is a hybrid Mediterranean-DASH diet that emphasizes foods associated with brain health, including whole grains, green leafy vegetables, berries, nuts, olive oil, and fish. Those most closely following the Mediterranean diet were 54% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s dementia (more than any other diet group). Comparatively, those most closely following the DASH diet were 39% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s dementia. The group most closely following the MIND diet (which shares many similarities with the Med diet) was 53% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s dementia than the group with the lowest MIND diet scores, and even those moderately following the MIND diet were at a 35% lower risk. 
Alzheimer’s and Dementia. 2015 Feb 11. pii: S1552-5260(15)00017-5. [Epub ahead of print] (Morris MC et al.)

Antioxidant in Olive Oil has Anti-Cancer Properties

A worthy star of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil gains much of its prestige from the various antioxidants that it contains. To see how one of these antioxidants affects cancer growth, New York scientists extracted oleocanthal (OC), a compound in extra virgin olive oil, and applied it to a variety of cancer cells.  According to the scientists, “Amazingly, OC induced cell death in all cancer cells examined – as rapidly as 30 minutes after treatment,” but did not cause cell death in noncancerous cells. This finding opens up a new field in the area of cancer research, as scientists are eager to find more ways to treat and prevent this devastating disease. While guzzling olive oil is by no means a cure for cancer, these findings support existing research that enhancing your meals with olive oil is a delicious and nutritious practice to build a long and healthy life.
Molecular and Cellular Oncology. 2015 Jan 23. [Epub ahead of print] (LeGendre O et al.)

The Cuisine of Puglia as an Example of the Traditional Mediterranean Diet

Puglia is a beautiful region in Southern Italy. In this article, researchers use Puglia as an example of the Mediterranean diet’s connection between both good taste and good health, highlighting typical, nutritionally balanced dishes (such as fave bianche e cicorie, orecchiette e cime di rapa, soup of pulses and whole wheat, savory anchovy pie, and salads). The authors also analyze the climate and vegetation of the region, noting that the abundance of olive oil and wheat, and the wide assortment of interesting local vegetables helps contribute to this mostly plant-based diet.
International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science. 2015 January;2(2):63-71. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2014.12.001. (Renna M et al.)

An Avocado a Day May Keep High Cholesterol Away

Replacing saturated fats (like butter and red meat) with unsaturated fats (like nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocados) as part of an overall healthy diet is thought to be an effective strategy to help prevent heart disease. To see if people’s cholesterol levels and heart disease risk would decrease by substituting some of the saturated fat in their diets with healthier monounsaturated fats from oils or avocados, scientists randomly assigned 45 overweight and obese adults to 1 of 3 cholesterol lowering diets (one low fat, one moderate fat with sunflower oil, one moderate fat with avocados). They found that replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated fats did indeed have a positive effect on cholesterol and heart disease risk, but that the best improvement was seen in people who ate 1 avocado per day, compared to the group who ate extra oil. The avocado group even saw improvements in small dense LDL, the type of cholesterol thought to be most dangerous.
Journal of the American Heart Association. 2015 January; 4: e001355. (Wang L et al.) 

Olive Oil May Decrease Risk for Coronary Artery Disease

The Mediterranean Diet has long been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, so researchers decided to take a closer look at how olive oil, one of the staples of this cuisine, might play a role in heart health. In a European study, researchers gave 63 healthy participants a daily 20 ml supplement of either refined olive oil (low phenolic content) or extra virgin olive oil (high phenolic content) for six weeks. Then researchers measured the participants for urinary proteomic biomarkers (certain peptides in the urine that are associated with specific diseases). After the six-week supplementation, both olive oil groups showed a significant improvement in the biomarkers for coronary artery disease, but no significant difference in the biomarkers for diabetes or chronic kidney disease, and no significant change in cholesterol levels.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2014 Nov 19 [Epub ahead of print] (Silva S et al.)

Mediterranean Diet Can Reverse Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a dangerous cluster of 3 or more conditions: central obesity (storing fat around your middle), high blood pressure, high triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood), high LDL (bad) cholesterol, low HDL (good) cholesterol, and high blood sugar. Metabolic syndrome greatly increases your risk for heart disease and diabetes, but luckily, researchers found a delicious way to reverse the condition. Scientists in Spain reviewed data collected during the PREDIMED study in which over 7,400 adults at risk of heart disease were randomly assigned to eat 1 of 3 diets: Mediterranean Diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, Mediterranean Diet supplemented with nuts, or a control diet (patients received advice on a low-fat diet). Researchers found that while the Mediterranean diet was not associated with the onset of metabolic syndrome, reversal of the condition (decrease in central obesity and/or high blood sugar) occurred in nearly one third of patients eating either version of the delicious and nutritious Mediterranean diet.
Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2014 Oct 14. Pii:cmaj.140764. [Epub ahead of print] (Babio N et al).

Fat in Olive Oil Can Help Revive Ailing Hearts

We’ve long known that a Mediterranean inspired diet rich in olive oil is associated with disease prevention, but recent studies are showing promise in disease treatment as well. In an animal study at the University of Illinois, either palmitate (the dietary fat found in animal fats, dairy, and palm oil) or oleate (the dietary fat found in olive oil) was delivered directly to beating rat hearts with heart failure. The palmitate treated hearts continued failing, with depressed fat metabolism and storage. On the other hand, the oleate treated hearts greatly improved, with restored fat content in cells, improved contraction, and normalized fat metabolism genes. In fact, after observing the hearts treated with oleate, the scientists declared that the fat content, turnover, and oxidation in the failing hearts “were indistinguishable from those of the healthy heart.”
Circulation. 2014 September 29, pii [Epub ahead of print] (Lahey R et al.)

Olive Oil May Help Prevent Osteoporosis

A recent review of 37 studies found that people who follow a Mediterranean diet have fewer incidences of bone health issues, like osteoporosis. The reason for this relationship seems to lie in the phytochemicals, antioxidants, and anti−inflammatory properties of the foods eaten in the Mediterranean diet, particularly olive oil. Few human studies have been conducted to help show the mechanism by which olive oil helps protect bones. However, various animal studies indicate that the compounds found in olive oil not only help prevent bone loss, but also help improve bone formation. Though olive oil cannot be solely responsible for the reduced incidences of osteoporosis in places that follow a Mediterranean diet, the growing body of research suggests that olive oil is a key component of maintaining good bone health.
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2014 June;65(7):834−840. (Garcia−Martinez O et al.)

Med Diet Slows Diabetes Progression

The Mediterranean Diet slowed the progression of type 2 diabetes more than a low-fat diet, in a recent randomized controlled trial in Naples, Italy, of 215 adults recently diagnosed with diabetes. The Med Diet group ate a diet high in olive oil, vegetables and whole grains, with poultry and fish replacing most red meat, while the low-fat group concentrated on restricting fatty or sugary snacks and limiting overall fat. At the six-year mark, all the people in the low-fat group needed medication, while some in the Med group were able to delay medication for two more years. People on the Med Diet also tended to lose more weight and to stick with the diet even after the trial ended.
Diabetes Care, ePub April 10, 2014. Esposito et al.
 

Med Diet and Lower Risk of Peripheral Artery Disease

Researchers for the PREDIMED study reviewed data that followed about 7,500 adults aged 55 to 80 who had a high risk of developing heart disease. The people were divided into 3 groups: one was assigned to eat a Mediterranean Diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil; one was assigned to eat a Mediterranean Diet enriched with nuts; and one was assigned to a control group that received advice on following a low-fat diet. Over five years a total of 89 participants developed peripheral artery disease (PAD), which deposits plaque in the arteries of the legs, restricting blood flow, and can cause pain during walking. Participants in the control group developed PAD at a rate of about 0.5% per year. The Med Diet with nuts group experienced half that rate, and the Med Diet with olive oil group experienced an even lower rate of 0.15% per year. Researchers believe this is the first randomized primary prevention trial to suggest an association between diet and reduced rates of PAD.

JAMA. 2014; 311(4):415-417 [Ruiz-Canela M, Estruch R, Corella D, Salas-Salvadó J, Martínez-González MA].

Med Diet May Help Cut Diabetes Risk without Cutting Calories

Researchers reviewed data collected during the PREDIMED study in which more than 3500 patients aged 55 to 80 years with high cardiovascular risk were randomly assigned to eat 1 of 3 diets: Mediterranean Diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, Mediterranean Diet supplemented with nuts, or a control diet (patients received advice on a low-fat diet). None of the diets were calorie restricted. Over the course of the study 16% of the participants on a Med Diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil and 18.7% of those on the Med Diet plus nuts developed type 2 diabetes, compared to 23.6% of the participants on the control diet, leading researchers to conclude that a Mediterranean Diet enriched with olive oil but without calorie restrictions can reduce diabetes risk for people with high cardiovascular risk.

Annals of Internal Medicine. 2014; 160(1):10-10-10. [Salas-Salvadó, et al].

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