A Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, nuts and seafood and low in red meat and dairy products has been shown to provide several health benefits. A controlled trial conducted in Spain a few years ago showed that following this diet pattern, especially if the diet was enriched with extra-virgin olive oil or with nuts (almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts), can reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease and premature death. Other studies indicate that a Mediterranean-style diet can help protect against diabetes.
But what about people who don’t live near the Mediterranean or have olive trees in their back yards?
Adapting the Diet for Non-Mediterranean Climes
A Swedish study shows that the Mediterranean diet can be modified to use local foods and still help people lose weight and lower risk factors for heart disease.
This controlled study randomized 225 overweight Swedes to follow the modified Mediterranean diet or to be on a waiting list for 12 weeks. Instead of olive oil, the volunteers used canola or walnut oil. People were encouraged to eat walnuts, which were supplied, and were limited to two small desserts a day.
The Results
In three months, those assigned to the diet lost about 11 pounds and two inches from their waistlines. Those on the waiting list lost about one pound during this time.
Three fourths of the volunteers stuck to the diet for three months, and about half of them held on to it for the entire year. At the end of the year, they still weighed nine pounds less than when they started.
This suggests that a modified Mediterranean diet can help people lose weight and lower their blood cholesterol and triglycerides. Controlling these blood fats is an important step towards heart health.
[European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online Feb. 18, 2015]
If you would like to know more about a Mediterranean diet and how you could follow a similar diet yourself, you may want to read our book, The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies. It has a detailed explanation.
