Dr. Mercola October 04 2008 54,457 views
Sticking strictly to a “Mediterranean” diet offers substantial protection against cancer, heart disease and other major chronic illnesses, according to researchers.
The research team reviewed 12 international studies which included more than 1.5 million people whose eating habits and health were tracked for follow-up periods of three to 18 years.
Strict adherence results in a 9 percent drop in death from heart disease, a 13 percent reduction in incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease and a 6 percent reduction in cancer.
The traditional Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, fish and healthy fats such as olive oil.
Contrary to popular belief, there"s actually no one "Mediterranean diet.” At least 16 countries border the Mediterranean Sea, and dietary habits vary from country to country due to differences in culture, ethnic background, religion, economy and agricultural production. The Mediterranean-inspired diet was first introduced in the U.S in 1945 by the American doctor Ancel Keys, but it failed to gain widespread recognition until the mid-1990s when it was popularized by Dr. Walter Willett.
The common Mediterranean dietary pattern includes:
In many ways the Mediterranean diet is head and neck ahead of the standard American diet. It emphasizes fresh vegetables, which is something most people could use more of, while downplaying processed foods. Reducing your intake of MSG, a neurotoxin, and high fructose corn syrup, which aggravates inflammation, will in and of itself have a positive impact on your health.
Olive Oil – One of the MVP’s of the Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet also includes plenty of olive oil, whereas many Americans still believe that dietary fat leads to obesity. But olive oil, specifically extra-virgin olive oil, is clearly one of the "good fats” that should be included in your diet.
It’s a monounsaturated fat whose health benefits stem from it being unrefined and unheated. It also contains vitamin E and A, chlorophyll, magnesium, squalene, and a host of other cardio-protective nutrients. In addition, olive oil does not upset the critical omega 6:3 ratio, as most of the fatty acids in olive oil are actually omega-9.
Studies have shown that extra-virgin olive oil can reduce some cancers, reduce LDL cholesterol levels, and improve rheumatoid arthritis; the same or similar benefits touted by the Mediterranean diet.
According to one such study, adults who consumed 25 milliliters (mL) or about 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil daily for one week showed less oxidation of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and higher levels of antioxidant compounds, particularly phenols, in their blood. Antioxidants can help prevent oxidative damage that is caused by free radicals, byproducts of your body"s normal processes that can damage body tissues.
Beware: Olive Oil Should NOT Be Used for Cooking
While olive oil can, and should be, included as a healthy part of your diet, it should not be used to cook with, as it is highly susceptible to oxidative damage when heated.
Instead, it should be added cold to salads and other dishes.
If you want to try a chilled, raw, Mediterranean-style soup that features extra-virgin olive oil, check out this delicious recipe by Luci Lock.
When choosing an oil to cook with, you’ll want to pick one that will not be damaged by high temperatures. One of your absolute best choices is coconut oil, which is rich in lauric acid -- a proven antiviral and immune system builder.
The Health Benefits of a Mediterranean-Style Diet
That the Mediterranean diet can be good for you has been well established. Studies have shown that it can:
With these impressive benefits, does this mean that the Mediterranean diet is the optimal diet for everyone?
Not so fast.
Even the Mediterranean Diet Has Some Flaws That Could Lead You AstrayThere are several glaring errors that come to mind when I think about the “”heart-healthy” Mediterranean diet.
1. It promotes the misguided notion that saturated fats are bad for you.Like the U.S. food pyramid, the Mediterranean diet vilifies saturated fats. Things like red meats and eggs, according to the diet, should be eaten sparingly. Saturated fats, however, have been wrongly blamed for the epidemics of heart disease and obesity. In reality, these healthy animal fats are necessary and very good for you. 2. It encourages eating many grains.Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and other grains are emphasized in the Mediterranean diet. However, these are the exact items (along with vegetable oils and sugars) that have significantly contributed to heart disease, diabetes and obesity spiraling out of control in the United States. A small portion of people, perhaps one out every six people, can thrive on a diet like this one that encourages whole grains. But what about the rest of us? You can read my other article on insulin to find out if you are someone that needs to avoid many or most grains.3. It encourages eating fish and seafood. In theory this is a healthy choice because fish contains beneficial omega-3 fats. However, their guidelines have not been amended to warn about excessive pollution of our waterways, which means that today most fish is polluted too. And eating farm-raised fish is an even worse option. So while I believe you should definitely get omega-3 fats in your diet, I recommend doing so through an animal-based omega-3 supplement like krill oil. This way you get the benefits without the pollution. 4. It does not distinguish between pasteurized and raw dairy. While cheese, yogurt and other dairy are popular foods in this diet, there is no mention of consuming raw dairy products, which is a key part of making them healthy. Of course, in many regions overseas dairy products are still widely available unpasteurized, so it may be more of an American issue to clarify the importance of eating dairy products raw. 5. No one diet is ever right for everyone.You have an individual nutritional type that dictates which foods are healthy for you. Those foods may or may not be the same ones that are healthy for your spouse, your neighbor or your best friend. So while a carb nutritional type may do very well on the Mediterranean diet, a protein type would feel lousy because there simply isn’t enough red meat and fat to sustain them.
1. It promotes the misguided notion that saturated fats are bad for you.Like the U.S. food pyramid, the Mediterranean diet vilifies saturated fats. Things like red meats and eggs, according to the diet, should be eaten sparingly. Saturated fats, however, have been wrongly blamed for the epidemics of heart disease and obesity. In reality, these healthy animal fats are necessary and very good for you. 2. It encourages eating many grains.Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and other grains are emphasized in the Mediterranean diet. However, these are the exact items (along with vegetable oils and sugars) that have significantly contributed to heart disease, diabetes and obesity spiraling out of control in the United States.
A small portion of people, perhaps one out every six people, can thrive on a diet like this one that encourages whole grains. But what about the rest of us? You can read my other article on insulin to find out if you are someone that needs to avoid many or most grains.3. It encourages eating fish and seafood. In theory this is a healthy choice because fish contains beneficial omega-3 fats. However, their guidelines have not been amended to warn about excessive pollution of our waterways, which means that today most fish is polluted too. And eating farm-raised fish is an even worse option. So while I believe you should definitely get omega-3 fats in your diet, I recommend doing so through an animal-based omega-3 supplement like krill oil. This way you get the benefits without the pollution.
4. It does not distinguish between pasteurized and raw dairy.
While cheese, yogurt and other dairy are popular foods in this diet, there is no mention of consuming raw dairy products, which is a key part of making them healthy. Of course, in many regions overseas dairy products are still widely available unpasteurized, so it may be more of an American issue to clarify the importance of eating dairy products raw.
5. No one diet is ever right for everyone.You have an individual nutritional type that dictates which foods are healthy for you. Those foods may or may not be the same ones that are healthy for your spouse, your neighbor or your best friend. So while a carb nutritional type may do very well on the Mediterranean diet, a protein type would feel lousy because there simply isn’t enough red meat and fat to sustain them.
The Mediterranean Diet Effect May Be About More Than Just Food…While study after study keeps finding tremendous health benefits from the Mediterranean diet, this effect may not be entirely due to the food choices. Many of the studies finding lower death rates and reduction in chronic illnesses – including the study above – are international studies that include countries other than the U.S.
Therefore, lifestyle factors such as more physical activity and extended social support systems may also play a part.
For example, according to one 2005 study, Sports Participation in the EU: Trends and Differences, Finland, Sweden and Denmark have the highest levels of physical exercise and sports participation out of 15 EU member countries.
And, according to the European Society of Cardiology, cardiovascular disease mortality rates -- which have dropped significantly since the 1970s -- have seen the largest decreases in the North European countries. A full two-thirds of these reductions are attributed to risk factor reduction strategies, which include dietary modifications, quitting smoking and exercising.
The latest European Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice includes the following recommendations for physical exercise:
For more recommendations on how to improve your health and change your life with exercise, please review my recently updated Exercise Guidelines.
According to the SEER data my lifetime risk of cancer is 40%. Reduce that by 6% and my risk is 37.6%. Not really so impressive, and in epidemiological terms pretty piffling. Note they were comparing “adherers” with “non-adherers”; the people who didn’t adhere may have not done so due to stress or any number of other unadjusted for confounding factors.
you forgot slathering yourself w/ sunblock to cut off any Vitamin D3 generation.
While diet is a very important component to staying healthy and free from disease and illness, so is keeping your immune system healthy. If you want to have information about the very best product to do that for you, email me at walt.pat@hotmail.com and I will direct you to that information.
Over a 30 year period, my diet was basically Mediterranean inspired. I was healthy, got a lot of exercise, but I failed to realize that the carbos and cheeses were appetite "triggers". I just figured the cravings were caused by the lower nutrient levels of foods these days. Each year I gained around 2.5 lbs until I had gained over 75 lbs.
Last year I turned 65, and, thanks to the Internet, I learned that by eliminating the carbos and dairy products, I could be free from cravings. This diet is known as the Paleolithic diet (caveman). This may sound crazy, I am never hungry any more. I still love to eat, but I can fast without a second thought. I do model my eating consciouness on the French tradition of taking time to savor each bite, and drinking only organic red wine.
Without counting calories, or even using the scales, I have lost 85 pounds. I ride my mountain bike 10 miles a day on Sedona, Arizona's trails nearly every day. I am stronger and in better shape than I've been for years. To maintain and increase strength and endurance, I eat all the eggs, chicken, buffalo, or fish I want. I cook from scratch, too. I don't care about opinions that eggs are "dangerous" souces of colesterol, and some days I may eat up 8 of them (organic, or course). The cardiologist reports that my cardio-vascular system would be the envy of most people in their 20s.
I love my diet and being free from body fat! Well, with almost not fat on my face, my high cheekbones stand out, and my face looks a bit austere. Some people who have not seen me for a few months aren't really sure they can recognize me.
When people ask me about my diet, they nearly always tell me they love pasta and ice cream too much to give these up. For them the sacrifice just isn't worth it. However, my new diet lifestyle is so satisfying that pasta and ice cream actually jag me up too much. It takes a day or two to recover. I have developed a new way of living and it a pleasure, indeed!
Jay,
I have been following the Paleolithic diet for about 3 years. I have lost a net of 52 pounds, and am in wayyy better shape then any time in my life.
As you mentioned getting very lean is awesome, and now that I am about 12% body fat, it makes me believe this is the way we were designed. One note about that is that when you first get lean like this, unless you are very athletic you may start to appear to look like a "concentration camp victim". The reason for this is that most people have way less muscle then they know, and when it gets to the point you can really see how much muscle you have, you may not like it. That was the case with me, and after I realized I would look like a very weak small guy, (even though I wasn't weak, just small) I decided I needed to put on some muscle. The only healthy way to do this is with anaerobic exercise, ie lifting heavy weight. So now I have been working out for 2 years, and have put on about 15 pounds of muscle. I weight in at about 138-140, and even though this weight is the same as 2 years ago, I look and am much stronger.
So after 3 years of Paleolithic diet and 2 years of working out, I weight in at 138 pounds, 12.5% body fat, as measured by my home scale. I am stronger then ever and wouldn't consider going back to any processed foods, grains, potatoes, for anything. Oh 1 more thing, my triglycerides were measured at 600+ before I started this diet, and when I did a follow up 2 years ago, they were at <50, and my cholesterol level was in the bottom 10% or risk levels.
To me the verdict is in,
The Caveman
Jay Patrick,
Are you aware that Dreamfields makes a pasta with only 5 carbs per serving, and you can't tell it from regular 100% Semolina wheat pasta. Betcha! Check them out at:
www.dreamfieldsfoods.com.
***
Jay Patrick
Check this out:
www.dreamfieldsfoods.com
I think far too much emphasis is placed on the Mediterranean DIET and not enough on the Mediterranean LIFESTYLE. As soon as you leave the United States (and yes, this is true even of other English-speaking countries) you immediately notice the slower pace of life and laid-back attitude. Travel to a place where NO English is spoken and the difference is even more dramatic. Some Americans find this casual sense of time frustrating and speak deprecatingly of "Mexican time," "Indian time" etc. In fact, the pace of dining, like the pace of everything else in life, is relaxed and pleasant. Meals are enjoyed with conversation. Contrast that with the U.S. where we seem to make a business of inhaling our food as efficiently as possible and even multitask, eating at our desk, in front of the computer, while watching television or driving in our cars. We invented the concept of "fast food," didn't we?
I'm not disagreeing with the healthful aspects of a given diet. I'm just saying that other factors play a role as well.
Very important points Islander. I have had friends move back to El Salvador from California because no one would sit around for 3-4 hour dinners and enjoy each others company with them. The fact that many American women work outside the home contributes to dinners becoming more like 'fast food' here in America.
I installed a burner with a 27 inch round griddle into the center of our patio table and now we bring raw food to the table and grill it or boil it in the pan of water in the center of the griddle. Raw fish, chicken, lamb, beef and lots of green leafy veggies from the garden. Even wonton and pasta can be prepared. With a few different dipping sauces it makes for a couple hours of enjoyable family time together. Each person cooking their own dinner.