| Cretans from the Greek island of Crete and other | | | | The cancer risk can be cut by almost 12% by just |
| Greeks live longer than many other populations in the | | | | adding a few elements of the Mediterranean diet to |
| world. They are 20% less likely to die of coronary | | | | the western diet - reducing red meat intake and |
| artery heart disease than the people living in North | | | | increasing the intake of peas, beans, lentils and olive oil. |
| America. Along with populations of southern Italy, they | | | | Scientists reached this conclusion after monitoring the |
| also enjoy a significant decrease in the incidence of | | | | detailed dietary records of over 26,000 Greek men |
| chronic diseases. This health bonanza has been | | | | and women, over a period of eight years. |
| attributed primarily to their diet. In 2002, Curtis and | | | | Other benefits noted and well documented in clinical |
| O'Keefe in the Postgraduate Journal, suggested that | | | | studies include improvement in Alzhiemer's disease, |
| the Mediterranean Diet could be the new 'Gold | | | | Parkinsons disease, rheumatoid arthritis, depression and |
| Standard' for heart disease prevention. (Curtis B, | | | | body weight. This was recently confirmed again in a |
| O'Keefe J. Understanding the Mediterranean Diet: | | | | study by Sofi and associates and published in the |
| Could This Be the New "Gold Standard" for Heart | | | | British Medical Journal of 12 September, 2008. |
| Disease Prevention? Postgraduate Medicine. 2002; | | | | It stands to logic that the reduction in chronic diseases, |
| 112(2):35-8.). These populations have an unique dietary | | | | especially heart ailments, diabetes and cancer should |
| tradition - they regularly use liberal amounts of olive oil, | | | | lead to an increased longevity. And the data has |
| nuts, grains, beans, fruits and vegetables in their food. | | | | supported this: |
| They also eat fish regularly and indulge in moderate | | | | Increase in life span: Knoops and associates studied |
| amount of wine drinking. Their diet is limited in red meat, | | | | 1,507 healthy men and 832 healthy women aged |
| refined grains, sugars and processed food items. The | | | | 70-90 years in 11 European countries (including Italy, |
| effects include an improvement in lipid profile, reduction | | | | Finland, and the Netherlands) between 1988 and 2000. |
| in blood pressure, decrease in insulin resistance and | | | | They found that maintaining a Mediterranean diet and |
| induces favorable changes in the markers of | | | | a healthy lifestyle resulted in a more than 50% lower |
| inflammation - leading to decreased heart disease. | | | | risk of death for people 70-90 years old. ( Knoops K, |
| As mentioned above,adherence to the Mediterranean | | | | de Groot L, Kromhout D, et al: Mediterranean Diet, |
| diet also protects against several chronic diseases. | | | | Lifestyle Factors, and 10-year Mortality in Elderly |
| (Gjonça A, Bobak M. Albanian Paradox, Another | | | | European Men and Women. The HALE Project. |
| Example of Protective Effect of Mediterranean | | | | JAMA 292:1433-1439, 2004.) Recent data from a |
| Lifestyle? Lancet. 1997;350:1815-7.) Two major benefits | | | | study from Northern Europe shows that this diet also |
| are: | | | | reduces mortality in younger people. (Lagiou P, |
| Decrease in the risk of developing diabetes mellitus: M | | | | Trichopoulos D, Sandin S, et al. Mediterranean dietary |
| Á Martínez-González and | | | | pattern and mortality among young women: a cohort |
| associates followed13 380 Spanish university | | | | study in Sweden. British Journal of Nutrition. |
| graduates without diabetes at baseline followed them | | | | 2006;96(2):384-92.) The reduction appears to be due |
| for a median of 4.4 years. They found that those who | | | | to several factors, including reductions in cancer and |
| adhered to the Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of | | | | cardiovascular deaths. |
| developing diabetes. (M Á | | | | To summarize, healthy 'Mediterranean' food advice is: |
| Martínez-González, C de la | | | | Eat less red meat. |
| Fuente-Arrillaga, J M Nunez-Cordoba et al. Adherence | | | | Consume less milk and dairy products like cream and |
| to Mediterranean diet and risk of developing diabetes: | | | | cheese. |
| prospective cohort study. BMJ 2008;336:1348-1351). | | | | Eat more fish, especially cold water fish. |
| The benefits accrued from decreases in insulin | | | | Switch to olive oil. |
| resistance and increases in insulin sensitivity. | | | | Eat more grains, seed and nuts. |
| Mediterranean diet is also inversely associated with the | | | | Avoid refined grains and processed foods. |
| metabolic syndrome - a key risk factor associated | | | | Eat more fruits and vegetables and legumes. |
| with the development of diabetes. | | | | And drink alcohol moderately, especially red wine with |
| Decrease in cancer: In 2004 Trichopoulou noted that | | | | meals. |
| one reason for the increase in longevity in people | | | | Remember what researcher W.C. Willet, said |
| following the Mediterranean diet was a reduction in the | | | | "Together with regular physical activity and not |
| incidence of cancer. (Trichopoulou A, Critselis E. | | | | smoking, our analyses suggest that over 80% of |
| Mediterranean diet and longevity. European Journal of | | | | coronary heart disease, 70% of stroke, and 90% of |
| Cancer Prevention. 2004;13(5):453-6.). A recent report | | | | type 2 diabetes can be avoided by healthy food |
| has again verified these findings (Benetou V, | | | | choices that are consistent with the traditional |
| Trichopoulou A, Orfanos P. Conformity to traditional | | | | Mediterranean Diet." (Willett WC. The Mediterranean |
| Mediterranean diet and cancer incidence: the Greek | | | | diet: science and practice. Public Health Nutrition. |
| EPIC cohort. British Journal of Cancer. 2008;99:191-5.). | | | | 2006;9(1A):105-10.). |