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Mediterranean diet lowers heart risk

by Heather Bausell, MUSC Dietetic Intern

In the Mediterranean countries, where plants are abundant and the climate warm, a plant-based cuisine was developed that is now known as the Mediterranean diet.

The diet is low in red meat, eggs and sweets, and studies have shown that people who have followed the Mediterranean diet have lower rates of heart disease. A recent report presents further results on a study of 420 people in Lyons, France who had already suffered heart attacks. The control group followed a diet described as a prudent Western type diet for four years.

Practically every measure of cardiac health was better in the subjects that followed the Mediterranean diet. For example, the number of repeat heart attacks in the control group was 25 while in the test group it was only eight. Adding up all the major and minor cardiac events, there were 180 in the control group and only 95 in the test group. New studies, including one at MUSC, are now being done to show the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for preventing cancer.

The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid can explain the main principles of the diet. In general, the pyramid is based on a lifestyle that includes exercise and is characterized by a greater intake of grains, cereals, legumes, olive oil, fish, fruit and vegetables. A decreased intake of red meat, eggs and sweets is also part of the diet. In the pyramid, red meat is at the top, and is usually eaten only a few times per month.

The main source of fat in the diet is olive oil, resulting in a diet low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat. This may explain the lower rates of heart disease seen in the Mediterranean area. While it is not clear exactly what part of the diet helped, it is evident that the Mediterranean diet is highly effective in reducing the risk of heart disease and possibly cancer.

For information on the Mediterranean diet, contact a registered dietitian at 792-4143.