Mediterranean Diet Cookbook For Dummies. Raffetto RD Meri

incidence of heart disease. According to a 2011 review of several studies covering 535,000 people that was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, a traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglyceride levels.

      Another study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2013 observed more than 7,400 individuals who were already at high risk of heart disease. The participants were assigned a Mediterranean diet with olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, or a traditional Westernized lowfat diet. After following the participants for five years, the study found the folks following either Mediterranean style diet had a 30 percent reduction in cardiac events. This study highlights that a lowfat diet isn’t necessarily the answer for reducing cardiac events; the type of fats eaten, primarily nuts and olive oil, are more important.

      Many more studies have shown the heart health protection of a diet high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, wine, and seafood, which support the idea that the Mediterranean diet is a healthy lifestyle. We’re sure you’ll continue to see more and more research on this topic in the future.

Fighting Cancer

      Another area research on the Mediterranean diet has focused on is the diet’s effects on preventing and managing cancer. Specific staples of the diet have been shown to provide cancer-preventing and cancer-fighting benefits:

      ❯❯ Plant foods: A diet high in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts may provide cancer protection. The high amounts of phytochemicals in these foods provide unique properties that can help inhibit or slow tumor growth or simply protect your cells. Head to the earlier section “Understanding phytochemicals” for details on these powerhouses.

      ❯❯ Meat: Beginning in 1976, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health followed 88,000 healthy women and found that the risk of colon cancer was 2.5 times higher in women who ate beef, pork, or lamb daily compared with those who ate those meats once a month or less. They also found that the risk of getting colon cancer was directly correlated to the amount of meat eaten. Additionally, a 2011 report illustrated a link between eating red meat or processed meats and a greatly increased risk of bowel cancer. Its recommendation to consume less than 500 grams (roughly 1 pound of cooked red meats) per week actually aligns with the consumption across the Mediterranean.

      ❯❯ Olive oil: A study of 26,000 Greek people published in the British Journal of Cancer showed that using more olive oil cut cancer risk by 9 percent.

      In addition to these ingredient-specific studies, the diet as a whole has some promising research. A 2008 study review published in the British Medical Journal showed that following a traditional Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of dying from cancer by 9 percent. That same year, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study that showed that among post menopausal women, those who followed a traditional Mediterranean diet were 22 percent less likely to develop breast cancer. The EPIC study has also published papers on the association between the Mediterranean diet and cancer risk. (Head to the nearby sidebar “Taking in the evidence with the EPIC cohort study” for more on the EPIC study.) A 2011 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that those who adhered more closely to a Mediterranean diet had a decreased rate of cancer. Although more research is needed in this area, you can enjoy a Mediterranean diet and know that you’re helping increase your odds against cancer.

TAKING IN THE EVIDENCE WITH THE EPIC COHORT STUDY

      The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study is one of the largest cohort studies in the world looking into the connection between diet, nutritional status, and lifestyle with the incidence of cancer and other chronic diseases. The study includes more than half a million participants who were followed for nearly 15 years, providing valuable information on diet interactions and wellness.

      One of the highlights of this study is a close look at the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet and how this dietary pattern affects disease prevention. Through several published papers, the EPIC investigators have found that those who closely adhere to the Mediterranean dietary pattern have decreased overall mortality and decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

      Of course, other factors that are out of your control (such as genetics) can influence whether you get certain diseases, but the evidence is clear from the EPIC study. You can help yourself prevent some of these chronic conditions by following a Mediterranean diet and lifestyle.

Battling Diabetes

      The foods in a Mediterranean diet make perfect sense for a person with type 2 diabetes because the food choices lean toward being low-glycemic. The glycemic index is a measurement given to carbohydrate-containing foods that shows how quickly they turn into blood sugar. High-glycemic foods create a quick, high blood sugar spike, while low-glycemic foods offer a slow blood sugar rise. A diet that provides this slow rise in blood sugar is best for diabetics, who can’t manage a large influx of sugar normally. Most vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes (hallmarks of the Mediterranean diet) provide a much slower blood sugar response compared to white bread, white pasta, or sugary snacks. A 2009 study from the Second University of Naples in Italy published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that diabetics who followed a Mediterranean diet instead of a lowfat diet had better glycemic control and were less likely to need diabetes medication.