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Senior Citizen Nutrition, Vitamins, Supplements
Mediterranean Diet Beats Low-Fat in Lowering Heart
Disease Risk for Older People
 July 7, 2006 The benefits of a "Mediterranean
Diet" in reducing the risks of heart attack and cardiovascular disease
received a significant boost from research published in the latest issue
of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Spanish researchers say their study
of older people indicates it is easier to stay on these diets than
low-fat diets and the cardiovascular risk may be reduced as much as 50
percent. (Take test below on Mediterranean diet.)
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The investigators of this 4-year clinical study
being conducted under the sponsorship of the Spanish Ministry of Health
reviewed the effects of the diet on almost 772 men and women aged 55 to
80 years, who were considered at high cardiovascular risk.
Each participant had either diabetes or three or
more cardiovascular risk factors: family history of early-onset heart
disease, excessive weight, smoking, hypertension, or high blood
cholesterol levels. Researchers maintain that the early results of this
clinical trial suggest that the Mediterranean diet pattern is ideal for
cardiovascular disease reduction.
Participants were assigned to a low-fat diet or to
one of two Mediterranean diets. Those allocated to Mediterranean diets
received nutritional education and either free virgin olive oil, 1 liter
per week, or free nuts. The authors evaluated outcome changes at 3
months.
Participants in the Mediterranean diet groups could
maintain the diet better than those in the low-fat diet group, according
to a consumer summary by the magazine, and the Mediterranean diets were
more effective at lowering participants' blood pressure, cholesterol
levels, and blood sugar levels after 3 months.
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What is the "Mediterranean" diet? |
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By American Heart Association
There's no one "Mediterranean" diet. At
least 16 countries border the Mediterranean Sea. Diets vary
between these countries and also between regions within a
country. Many differences in culture, ethnic background,
religion, economy and agricultural production result in
different diets. But the common Mediterranean dietary pattern
has these characteristics:
● high consumption of fruits,
vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and
seeds
● olive oil is an important monounsaturated fat source
● dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to
moderate amounts, and little red meat is eaten
● eggs are consumed zero to four times a week
● wine is consumed in low to moderate amounts
Does a Mediterranean-style diet follow
American Heart Association dietary recommendations?
Mediterranean-style diets are often close
to our dietary recommendations, but they dont follow them
exactly. In general, the diets of Mediterranean peoples contain
a relatively high percentage of calories from fat. This is
thought to contribute to the increasing obesity in these
countries, which is becoming a concern.
People who follow the average
Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than those who eat the
average American diet. In fact, saturated fat consumption is
well within our dietary guidelines.
More than half the fat calories in a
Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats (mainly from
olive oil). Monounsaturated fat doesn't raise blood cholesterol
levels the way saturated fat does.
The incidence of heart disease in
Mediterranean countries is lower than in the United States.
Death rates are lower, too. But this may not be entirely due to
the diet. Lifestyle factors (such as more physical activity and
extended social support systems) may also play a part.
Before advising people to follow a
Mediterranean diet, we need more studies to find out whether the
diet itself or other lifestyle factors account for the lower
deaths from heart disease. See the Lyon
Diet Heart Study entry in this Guide for more information.
American Heart Association click for more
Related AHA publications:
●
Easy Food Tips for Heart-Healthy Eating (also in Spanish)
● "How Can I Cook Healthfully?" and "How Do I Follow a Low-Fat
Diet?" in Answers
By Heart kit (also in Spanish kit)
Mediterranean Diet Pyramid
The Mediterranean diet pyramid shown
above is based on the traditional diets of people in Greece,
Crete, and southern Italy in the early 1960's.
More at Hormel Foods
click here |
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The diets' effects on heart attacks and strokes
remain to be proven, says the report, but the findings suggest that the
Mediterranean diet might reduce risk for heart disease in high-risk
people.
Dr. Ramon Estruch of the University of Barcelona,
the study leader, says that it didn't matter whether study participants
got their healthy fat largely from olive oil or from nuts. The subjects
assigned to either diet group that includes fats tended to see greater
improvements.
The early results of this clinical trial indicate
that the Mediterranean diet pattern is ideal for cardiovascular disease
prevention," said Dr. Emilio Ros, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, and
PREDIMED study co-investigator.
"What we knew before was scattered pieces of
evidence from prospective studies. The primary endpoint of this
long-term study will be a composite outcome of cardiovascular events
(cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke). The results
to date make us believe, long term, the Mediterranean diet enriched with
walnuts or olive oil will indeed reduce heart disease. The size,
duration and clinical basis of this study make it landmark,
(Editor's Note: Dr. Ros is a consultant for the
California Walnut Commission and has also received grants from the
commission.)
The Mediterranean diet is characterized by large
amounts of olive oil, nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. The
Mediterranean diet is made up of foods with larger amounts of "healthy"
oil and fat, which contradicts traditional recommendations to prevent
heart disease by decreasing oil and fat intake. The effects of a
higher-fat diet on risk for heart disease compared with those of a
lower-fat diet are not clear. Which, if any, components of the diet have
a protective effect is also unclear, according to the magazine summary.
The summary by the Annals of Internal Medicine also
noted that the researchers gave more instructions about dietary
maintenance to the participants assigned to the Mediterranean diets than
to the participants assigned to the low-fat diet. The study's findings
might, therefore, have come from differences in the intensity of the
instructions rather than the actual diets. They also noted the
Mediterranean diets were closer to participants' actual diets.
To date, the diet has only been tested for its
effect on heart disease and its risk factors in small numbers of people.
The diets' effects on heart attacks and strokes remain to be proven,
since this study did not focus on clinical outcomes.
More about the study:
The article is entitled Effects of a
Mediterranean-Style Diet on Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and is
reported in the July 4 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Carried out by primary care doctors affiliated with
10 teaching hospitals across Spain, the Prevencion con Dieta
Mediterranea (PREDIMED) study is a large, parallel-group, multicenter,
randomized, controlled four-year feeding trial that aims to assess the
effects of the Mediterranean diet on the primary prevention of
cardiovascular disease (www.predimed.org).
Grant Support: By the Spanish Ministry of Health
(Fondo de Investigaciσn Sanitaria, Red G03/140).
Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest:
Consultancies: E. Ros (California Walnut Commission); Honoraria: E. Ros
(California Walnut Commission); Grants received: E. Ros (California
Walnut Commission); Grants pending: E. Ros (California Walnut
Commission).
Annals of Internal Medicine Summary for consumers
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http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/145/1/I-11
 Are you eating a Mediterranean diet?
Get crackin on this quiz by the Walnut
Marketing Board and California Walnut Commission
The higher your score, the more likely
youre eating a Mediterranean-style diet!
|
Foods &
Frequency of Consumption |
Criteria for 1 Point |
Your
Score |
|
1. How many servings of nuts
(especially walnuts) do you consume per week? (1 serving = 1
ounce, about Ό cup or 2 tablespoons nut butter)
NOTE: Walnuts differ from all
other nuts through their high content of polyunsaturated fatty
acids, particularly alpha-linolenic acid, a plant omega-3 fatty
acid, which may confer additional antiatherogenic properties. |
≥ 1 |
_____ |
|
2. Do you use olive oil as main culinary fat?
|
Yes |
_____ |
|
3. How much olive oil do you consume in a given day
(including oil used for frying, salads, out-of-house meals,
etc.)? |
≥ 4 tbsp |
_____ |
|
4. How many vegetable servings do you consume per
day? (1 serving = 1/2 cup) |
≥ 2 |
_____ |
|
5. How many servings of fruit (including 100% fruit
juice) do you consume per day? (1 serving = ½ cup fruit or 4
ounces juice) |
≥ 3 |
_____ |
|
6. How many servings of red meat, hamburger, or meat
products (ham, sausage, etc.) do you consume per day? (1 serving
= 4-5 ounces) |
<1 |
_____ |
|
7. How many servings of butter, margarine or cream do
you consume per day? (1 serving =1 tablespoon) |
<1 |
_____ |
|
8. How many sweet or carbonated beverages do you
drink per day? (1 servings = 12 fluid ounces) |
<1 |
_____ |
|
9. How many 5-ounce glasses wine do you drink per
week? |
≥ 3 glasses |
_____ |
|
10. How many ½ cup servings of legumes (e.g. beans,
peas or lentils) do you consume per week? |
≥ 3 |
_____ |
|
11. How many servings of fish or shellfish do you
consume per week? (1 serving = 4 ounces of fish or 6 ounces of
shellfish) |
≥ 3 |
_____ |
|
12. How many times per week do you consumer
commercial sweets or pastries (not homemade) such
as cakes, cookies, biscuits, doughnuts or fritters? |
< 3 |
_____ |
|
13. Do you preferentially consume chicken or turkey
meat instead of veal, pork, hamburger or sausage? |
Yes |
_____ |
|
14. How many times per week do you consume
vegetables, pasta, rice or other dishes seasoned with sofrito (a
sauce made with tomato and onion, leek or garlic and simmered
with olive oil)? |
≥ 2
|
_____ |
|
|
YOUR TOTAL SCORE(Maximum Score = 14 points) |
_____ |
The California walnut industry is made up of
approximately 5,500 growers and 55 handlers. The growers and handlers
are represented by two entities, the Walnut Marketing Board (WMB) and
the California Walnut Commission (CWC).
Walnut Marketing Board
The Walnut Marketing Board was established in
1933 to represent the walnut growers and handlers of California. The
Board is funded by mandatory assessments of the handlers. The WMB is
governed by a Federal Walnut Marketing Order. The Board promotes usage
of walnuts in the United States through publicity and educational
programs. The Board also provides funding for walnut production and
post-harvest research.
California Walnut Commission
The California Walnut Commission, established in
1987, is funded by mandatory assessments of the growers. The Commission
is an agency of the State of California that works in concurrence with
the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture
(CDFA). The CWC is mainly involved in health research and export market
development activities.
Walnut Industry Website -
http://www.walnuts.org/index.php
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