One trial randomly assigned 7,447 older adults at risk for cardiovascular disease to follow one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with one liter (about 34 fluid ounces) of extra virgin olive oil a week, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with 30 grams (1 ounce) of nuts a day, or a low-fat diet. After all, in recent years, numerous studies have touted the benefits of a Mediterranean diet, finding that it boosts bone and heart health.
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In this study, a Mediterranean diet was also associated with a 57 lower risk of breast cancer; other studies didn’t find a risk reduction.
Randomized controlled trials provided some limited evidence that a Mediterranean diet without fat restriction may reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and diabetes, according to a new systematic review.
“It is not known but may be because of an anti-inflammatory effect”, she added.
Since Mediterranean diet typically doesn’t really refer to a specific formula for eating but rather the mix of dishes popular in one region of the world, Bloomfield defined it as one that met two criteria.
For the paper, which was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Monday, researchers reviewed 332 previous studies and analyzed about 56 of those studies, taking a close look at the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet that included a lot of fat. Monosaturated fats are the ones found in healthy oils, like olive oil, and they improve blood cholesterol levels as well as help control blood sugar.
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“I was not surprised because the literature on which this study was based has been out there for a while”, Bloomfield said.
Low-fat diets are slowly being ditched as more emphasis has been placed on healthy fats. Cancer is the second leading cause.
The Mediterranean diet is an eating pattern that originated in countries around the Mediterranean Sea, such as Italy and Greece.
The take-home message is that the type of fat, total calories and quality of food we consume can all impact our overall health, disease risk and weight, said Samantha Heller, a registered dietician and exercise physiologist affiliated with New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City.
A Mediterranean diet is loaded with healthy fats and has been found to protect against stroke, cardiovascular disease, and even premature aging.
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Pooled analysis of 28 cohort studies with more than 2 million participants suggested that participants in the highest quantile of Mediterranean diet adherence had a 14% lower cancer mortality (risk ratio [RR], 0.86; 95% CI, 0.82-0.91) and a 4% decrease in cancer incidence (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.95-0.97).
