The virtues of the Mediterranean diet are not to be demonstrated. Not only does it protect against memory disorders, metabolic syndrome, and breast cancer, but it would also be effective in reducing the risk of recurrence of cardiovascular disease. The Mediterranean diet, also called the Cretan diet, emphasizes a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and olive oil.
A diet with many virtues
“The Mediterranean diet is widely recognized as one of the healthiest eating practices in the world,” says Professor Giovanni de Gaetano, head of the epidemiology department at the Neuromed Institute in Pozzilli, Italy. “Indeed, many scientific studies have shown that the traditional Mediterranean way of life is associated with a lower risk of many diseases and especially a reduction in the risk of mortality”.
Until then, research focused on the entire population, mostly made up of healthy people. The researchersEuropean Society of Cardiology therefore wondered if the Mediterranean diet was a good diet for people who have already suffered from cardiovascular disorders. The conclusions of this study, presented at a conference in Rome and relayed by EurekAlert, suggest that this is the case. Scientists even recommend using it before statin treatment (statins are used in medicines to lower cholesterol levels in the blood).
To carry out their study, the researchers followed 1197 people who had a heart problem for 7 years. In addition to diet, they studied their age, sex, physical activities, whether they smoked and several other factors to avoid bias in their study. During the course of the research, 208 patients died of heart disease.
A fuzzy mechanism, a recognized method
“We found that in those whose diet most closely resembled a Mediterranean diet, the risk of mortality was reduced by 37% compared to those whose eating habits deviated from it.” However, researchers are not yet sure what mechanisms the Mediterranean diet uses to reduce the risk of mortality so effectively.
Thus, Professor de Gaetano concludes that “the anti-inflammatory effect of certain foods must have an effect in reducing mortality, but more research is still needed to confirm this”.
This is not the only study published on this subject. A few months ago, the results of a New Zealand study already confirmed the benefits of the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular disorders.
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