Best diet for 4 consecutive years! Where is the God of the "Mediterranean Diet"? Research reveals 2 key reasons
The Mediterranean diet has won the best diet for 4 consecutive years to prevent blood vessel clogging and stabilize blood sugar?
The “Mediterranean Diet” was selected as the No. 1 “Best Diet” in 2021 by the US media “US News and World Report”, and has been on the list for nearly 4 consecutive years.
Many studies have claimed that eating a Mediterranean diet is related to improving cardiovascular disease, hypertension and hyperglycemia, and is beneficial to increasing the proportion of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, good cholesterol) in the body. A recent study from the Universitat de Barcelona in Spain showed that the Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced mortality in those over 65 years old.
The research team conducted long-term follow-up on 642 elderly people over the age of 65 over a 20-year period and detected metabolites of polyphenols and resveratrol (a nutrient commonly found in fruits such as grapes, blueberries, raspberries, etc.) in the urine of the subjects. ; and carotenoids, selenium, vitamin B12, saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids in the blood.
At the same time, the “Mediterranean Diet Index Survey” and “Food Frequency Questionnaire” (FFQ) were used to evaluate the association between the Mediterranean diet and subject mortality. During the follow-up study period, 425 of the 642 subjects died. Among them, 139 people died from cardiovascular diseases and 89 people died from cancer and other related diseases.
After comparing the data, the research team found that in the questionnaire survey, subjects who adopted a Mediterranean diet during their lifetime showed a “negative correlation” with their causes of death. It was also found that compliance with the Mediterranean diet showed a long-term positive correlation with mortality in subjects over 65 years old in the study. It is speculated that the reason may be that the nutrient composition of the Mediterranean diet is rich in dietary fiber and good sources of fat, which can help reduce blood vessel obstruction and stabilize blood sugar.
Does the Mediterranean diet improve brain health? Agency reminder: relatively deficient in iron and calcium
In addition to better helping the elderly with cardiovascular problems, a study by The University of Edinburgh in the UK in February last year also revealed that the Mediterranean diet is related to the improvement of the elderly’s “thinking ability”. The research team gathered 511 subjects who were approximately 80 years old and assessed their comprehensive scores of cognitive function, visuospatial ability, information processing speed, memory and language ability through 130 questionnaires.
The results show that elderly people who have been using the Mediterranean diet for a long time have better cognitive function, memory, and integration ability than those who eat a normal diet. The results of the study also emphasized that the elders will show better thinking skills, which is related to the diet of “eating more green vegetables” and “reducing the intake of red meat.”
However, the Mediterranean diet is not suitable for all ethnic groups. The public website of the National Institutes of Health points out that the food of the Mediterranean diet lacks two important substances, “calcium” and “iron”, and needs to be supplemented by dairy products or foods rich in iron and vitamin C. Help supplement.
In addition, if excessive intake of olive oil and nuts, the unsaturated fatty acids in them may cause weight gain. Wine is a common part of the Mediterranean diet, but if you are pregnant, have breast cancer, or have liver-related disease, alcohol may worsen the condition. Relevant ethnic groups are reminded that if they want to practice the Mediterranean diet, alcoholic beverages should not be included in it, or they should seek professional medical advice first.
Source:
How to Follow the Mediterranean Diet
Dietary patterns, cognitive function, and structural neuroimaging measures of brain aging
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