The Mediterranean Diet Can Reduce Your Chance of Heart Disease

The Mediterranean Diet has been shown in several studies to reduce the risk of progressive cardiovascular disease and even to reduce the incidence of diabetes and cancer. Like many other diets the Mediterranean Diet focuses on whole grains, fruits and vegetables. A professor of mine once referred to the Mediterranean Diet as eating the colors of the rainbow. As with almost all diets the focus is on green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, whole wheat bread, low consumption of red meat.

Where the Mediterranean Diet differs from many conventional diets is that it recommends consuming healthy fats on a daily basis. These healthy fats are olive oil, canola oil, nuts (like walnuts, almonds, and Brazil nuts) and the oils present in fish. In the Mediterranean Diet very little red meat is consumed. The Omega-3 fatty acids in fish are beneficial for your heart actually lower triglycerides in the blood which can lead to lipid accumulation in the vessel walls. Not only do these healthy fats add antioxidants to your diet they also help to make you feel full which might even reduce your caloric intake. Another reason to enjoy the Mediterranean Diet is red wine. Red wine has the powerful antioxidant Resveratrol. I usually recommend at least one glass of red wine daily for my heart patients based upon the Mediterranean Diet. Alcohol in general has benefits in moderation but in excess will actually cause heart damage.

The Mediterranean Diet is based on a well know paradox about the inhabitants of northern Italy. This group has exceptionally low rates of death despite a diet that is high in fat, when compared to U.S. diets. The difference lies in the type of fats, as U.S. diets are loaded with trans-fats and European diets are rich in mono-unsaturated fats (which are actually heart healthy). Tran-fats (banned in New York and California in 2010) increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and Triglycerides in the blood which willcause plaque to grow in blood vessles. Studies have demonstrated lower rates of death in men from all causes when they consumed the Mediterranean Diet. Recently published studies have shown that consuming the Mediterranean Diet can result in a 35% lower chance of developing diabetes and is as beneficial for weight loss as popular low carb diets.
If you have heart disease or are interested in reducing you chance of developing it consider trying the Mediterranean Diet. You never know you just might enjoy it!