Home > Medical > Heart Health > News Updated 01 March 2013 Mediterranean diet can ward off heart disease A Mediterranean diet high in olive oil, nuts, fish and fresh fruits and vegetables may help prevent heart disease and strokes, according to a new large study. 1 Pin It iStock Related Go the Mediterranean route 10 foods that increase longevity Is your diet heart-healthy? Spinach packs a healthy punch Ask Cardiologist » Quiz Is your diet heart-healthy? » Quiz Could I have high cholesterol? » Subscribe Newsletters » Top 10 heart-smart foods Think red for heart health A Mediterranean diet high in olive oil, nuts, fish and fresh fruits and vegetables may help prevent heart disease and strokes, according to a new large study from Spain.Past research suggested people who eat a Mediterranean-like diet have healthier hearts, but those studies couldn't rule out that other health or lifestyle differences had made the difference.For the new trial, researchers randomly assigned study volunteers at risk of heart disease to a Mediterranean or standard low-fat diet for five years, allowing the team to single out the effect of diet, in particular. "This is good news, because we know how to prevent the main cause of deaths - that is cardiovascular disease - with a good diet," said Dr Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, who worked on the study at the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona. How the study was doneHe and colleagues from across Spain assigned almost 7 500 older adults with diabetes or other heart risks to one of three groups. Two groups were instructed to eat a Mediterranean diet - one supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and the other with nuts, both donated for the study - with help from personalized advice and group meetings. The third study group ate a "control" diet, which emphasised low-fat dairy products, grains and fruits and vegetables.Over the next five years, 288 study participants had a heart attack or stroke or died of any type of cardiovascular disease. People on both Mediterranean diets were 28 to 30% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those on the general low-fat diet, the researchers reported Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The new study is the first randomized trial of any diet pattern to show benefit among people initially without heart disease, said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, who studies nutrition and cardiovascular disease at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Benefit in the combination of foodsIt's the blend of Mediterranean diet components - not one particular ingredient - that promotes heart health, according to Martinez-Gonzalez. "The quality of fat in the Mediterranean diet is very good," he said. "This good source of calories is replacing other bad sources of calories. In addition, there is a wide variety of plant foods in the Mediterranean diet," including legumes and fruits as desserts, Martinez-Gonzalez added."I think it's a combination of what's eaten and what's not eaten," agreed Mozaffarian, who wasn't involved in the new research."Things that are discouraged are refined breads and sweets, sodas and red meats and processed meats," he told Reuters Health. "The combination of more of the good things and less of the bad things is important."Martinez-Gonzalez suggested people seeking to improve their diet start with small changes, such as forgoing meat one or two days per week, cooking with olive oil and drinking red wine with meals rather than hard alcohol. Replacing a high-carbohydrate or high-saturated fat snack with a handful of nuts is also a helpful change, said Teresa Fung, a nutrition researcher at Simmons College in Boston who also wasn't on the study team."All of these steps are making, at the end of the day, a big difference," Martinez-Gonzalez said.Fung pointed out many people in the new trial were already on medications, such as statins and diabetes drugs."The way I see it is, even if people are on medication already, diet has substantial additional benefit," she told Reuters Health.That's likely the case for people without heart risks - including high blood pressure or cholesterol - as well, Fung added."This is a high-risk group, but I don't think people should wait until they become high-risk in order to change," she said. Reuters More in Medical Scans uncover dangerous hardening of abdominal aorta More: Heart HealthNews advertisement Get a quote Selfmed - the one with the apple Momentum - save up to 35% on healthcare Medihelp - quality, affordable medical scheme cover advertisement Read Health24’s Comments Policy Comment on this story 1 comment Add your comment Thank you, your comment has been submitted. Logout Comment 0 characters remaining Share on Facebook Logout Comment 0 characters remaining Share on Facebook Loading comments... Other news Medical Thousands expected to die in Eastern Cape Lifestyle Male on male sex and assault common in SA Medical Every minute counts for stroke victims Medical Could more sleep lower diabetes risk? Medical Blood test might predict type 1 diabetes in children Parenting Parenting influences children's exercise and eating habits From our sponsors Don’t be taken by surprise this winter. Keep your defences up with Vital Hop, skip and jump through winter with Hill’s Pet Nutrition Age-related bone loss is higher in women Conduct your most important Medihelp business from your mobile phone Live healthier Sleep well » Snoring Insomnia Sleep deprived? Create bedroom harmony Follow these tips for a peaceful retreat. Keep your pet healthy » Strange cat facts Walking the dog Ask the expert Health benefits of owning a pet Here are some surprising benefits of owing a pet.
1 Pin It iStock Related Go the Mediterranean route 10 foods that increase longevity Is your diet heart-healthy? Spinach packs a healthy punch Ask Cardiologist » Quiz Is your diet heart-healthy? » Quiz Could I have high cholesterol? » Subscribe Newsletters » Top 10 heart-smart foods Think red for heart health A Mediterranean diet high in olive oil, nuts, fish and fresh fruits and vegetables may help prevent heart disease and strokes, according to a new large study from Spain.Past research suggested people who eat a Mediterranean-like diet have healthier hearts, but those studies couldn't rule out that other health or lifestyle differences had made the difference.For the new trial, researchers randomly assigned study volunteers at risk of heart disease to a Mediterranean or standard low-fat diet for five years, allowing the team to single out the effect of diet, in particular. "This is good news, because we know how to prevent the main cause of deaths - that is cardiovascular disease - with a good diet," said Dr Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, who worked on the study at the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona. How the study was doneHe and colleagues from across Spain assigned almost 7 500 older adults with diabetes or other heart risks to one of three groups. Two groups were instructed to eat a Mediterranean diet - one supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and the other with nuts, both donated for the study - with help from personalized advice and group meetings. The third study group ate a "control" diet, which emphasised low-fat dairy products, grains and fruits and vegetables.Over the next five years, 288 study participants had a heart attack or stroke or died of any type of cardiovascular disease. People on both Mediterranean diets were 28 to 30% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those on the general low-fat diet, the researchers reported Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The new study is the first randomized trial of any diet pattern to show benefit among people initially without heart disease, said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, who studies nutrition and cardiovascular disease at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Benefit in the combination of foodsIt's the blend of Mediterranean diet components - not one particular ingredient - that promotes heart health, according to Martinez-Gonzalez. "The quality of fat in the Mediterranean diet is very good," he said. "This good source of calories is replacing other bad sources of calories. In addition, there is a wide variety of plant foods in the Mediterranean diet," including legumes and fruits as desserts, Martinez-Gonzalez added."I think it's a combination of what's eaten and what's not eaten," agreed Mozaffarian, who wasn't involved in the new research."Things that are discouraged are refined breads and sweets, sodas and red meats and processed meats," he told Reuters Health. "The combination of more of the good things and less of the bad things is important."Martinez-Gonzalez suggested people seeking to improve their diet start with small changes, such as forgoing meat one or two days per week, cooking with olive oil and drinking red wine with meals rather than hard alcohol. Replacing a high-carbohydrate or high-saturated fat snack with a handful of nuts is also a helpful change, said Teresa Fung, a nutrition researcher at Simmons College in Boston who also wasn't on the study team."All of these steps are making, at the end of the day, a big difference," Martinez-Gonzalez said.Fung pointed out many people in the new trial were already on medications, such as statins and diabetes drugs."The way I see it is, even if people are on medication already, diet has substantial additional benefit," she told Reuters Health.That's likely the case for people without heart risks - including high blood pressure or cholesterol - as well, Fung added."This is a high-risk group, but I don't think people should wait until they become high-risk in order to change," she said. Reuters More in Medical Scans uncover dangerous hardening of abdominal aorta More: Heart HealthNews