{"id":3176,"date":"2017-10-11T08:00:56","date_gmt":"2017-10-11T08:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/?p=3176"},"modified":"2022-07-26T13:40:56","modified_gmt":"2022-07-26T12:40:56","slug":"makes-mediterranean-diet-good-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/makes-mediterranean-diet-good-us\/","title":{"rendered":"What makes the Mediterranean diet so good for us?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last night was Italian week on The Great British Bake Off, so we thought it would be a great time to discuss the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. There have been many studies linking the Mediterranean diet with not only a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but also as an aid in the management of blood glucose levels.<\/p>\n

The Med diet has been widely recognised for its ability to help in the prevention and management of chronic diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. This is largely due to its anti-inflammatory nature, emphasising just how crucial nutrition is for health. Although our focus is on diabetes, there are many common mechanisms underlying these diseases. It is understood that nutrients specific to the Mediterranean diet target these mechanisms, therefore aiding in chronic disease prevention. This is interesting as many people living with diabetes also suffer with other chronic ailments.<\/p>\n

In fact the Traditional Mediterranean diet is not too dissimilar to that of the Low Carb Program.<\/p>\n

Mediterranean diet: a lowdown<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The traditional Mediterranean diet is a high-fat diet, with an emphasis on the consumption of fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices. Whilst meat, dairy, unrefined legumes and cereals are also consumed, they are done so in controlled quantities. Typically, there is a daily consumption of olive oil, nuts, cheese and yoghurt; bi-weekly consumption of fish and monthly or weekly intake of meat. As a result, the traditional Mediterranean diet is nonrestrictive and abundant in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fibre and appropriate fatty acids ratios. All of which are associated with decreased inflammation and disease.<\/p>\n

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Comparison of Mediterranean diet & Western diet<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Whilst the fat intake of the Mediterranean diet isn\u2019t too dissimilar to that of a typical modern Western diet, the composition of the dietary fats consumed are. The Mediterranean diet is largely based on mono-unsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and saturated fats. These are consumed primarily from wholesome sources of olives, olive oil and nuts, followed by dairy, meat, poultry and fish. As previously discussed, the consumption of fish and meat is more tightly controlled, but eaten regularly, consistently and from good sources (1).<\/p>\n

Adequate consumption of omega-3 fat, which is a type of polyunsaturated fat essential in our diets, is associated with decreased inflammation and the prevention of chronic disease. Many modern diets are insufficient in omega-3, yet abundant in omega-6, which is another type of polyunsaturated fat essential in our diet.<\/p>\n

As a result, most modern diets contain undesirable ratios of omega-3 to omega-6 fats, which has been directly linked to inflammation, obesity and chronic disease (2). There are a couple of reasons for this, including changes to the food supply chain and the use of refined vegetable oils to increase palatability and shelf-life of foods (1).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Changes to the food supply chain<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Focusing firstly on the food supply chain, for money purposes there have been several changes. This has consequently impacted the nutritional value of natural food sources, such as meat, eggs, fish and plant sources.<\/p>\n

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The land that plants are grown on and animals are raised on, and the foods they consume has a direct effect on their nutritional quality as a food source for humans. When considering the fatty acid composition of meat, grass fed animals have a far greater omega-3 fat content compared to grain fed animals. This is also true for fish and eggs. A free-range egg is understood to have a more desirable omega-6: omega-3 ratio of 1:3, whilst other types of non-free-range eggs have been found to contain ratios of 19.9 (2).<\/p>\n

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Hydrogenation (refined vegetable oils)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We must stress that not all omega-6 fats are bad for you. It is at the end of the day an essential fat that is required by our bodies. The big issue is where the sources of omega-6 fats are coming from and the quantities in which they are consumed.<\/p>\n

Whilst omega-6 fats can be found naturally in certain foods, highly processed confectionary foods such as cakes, certain breads and fast foods are laden in unhealthy sources of omega-6 fats, due to a process known as hydrogenation.<\/p>\n

In the food industry the process of hydrogenation is used to increase the palatability and shelf-life of foods. It involves the conversion of vegetable oils (high in omega-6), which are liquid at room temperature, to saturated fats which are solid at room temperature. This is achieved by heating vegetable oils, which in turn causes a chemical reaction, resulting in changes to its chemical composition. In many cases this process is not carried out in full, resulting in partially hydrogenated fats (3).<\/p>\n

These types of fats are better known as trans fats and are found in foods such as margarine, confectionery items and fast food. The changes to their chemical structure make them toxic and are a major threat to health (3).<\/p>\n

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Effects of trans fats<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Trans fats are pro-inflammatory and have been associated with a multitude of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, Alzheimer\u2019s and hypercholesterolaemia. They are understood to increase cholesterol, as they raise LDL cholesterol (unhealthy cholesterol), whilst simultaneously reducing HDL cholesterol (healthy cholesterol).<\/p>\n

Other beneficial lifestyle factors of the Mediterranean diet <\/strong><\/h3>\n

It is not simply the nutritional content of the Traditional Mediterranean diet that is recognised as being beneficial to health. Other positive elements of a Mediterranean lifestyle include the social aspect of eating, meal timings, their attention to their meals, physical activity and the concept of a siesta.<\/p>\n

Meals are usually consumed at fixed times of the day with occasional snacks consisting of nuts and fruit. Their set meal times and the lack of processed sugar and salt in their snacks has been associated with improved satiety and the avoidance of a hyper-caloric diet. Furthermore, unlike many of us with busy schedules, they take time when eating their food. This is also associated with improved satiety and is much healthier for our bodies.<\/p>\n

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Exercise is beneficial too<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Finally, physical activity is also a huge part of the Mediterranean lifestyle and has a multitude of benefits, such as with improved insulin sensitivity, decreased inflammation and reduced stress levels. It would be fair to argue that the sunshine and warmer climates make physical activity far more enticing!<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the verdict?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We are huge fans of the Traditional Med diet. Its focus on the consumption of healthy fat sources, micronutrient intake and general well-being provide an array of health benefits similar to that of the Low Carb Program.<\/p>\n

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  1. Hoffman, R. & Gerber, M. (2012) The Mediterranean Diet Health and Science.<\/em> West Sussex, Wiley-Blackwell.<\/li>\n
  2. Simopoulos, A, P. (2016) An increase in the omega-6\/omega-3 fatty acid ratio increases the risk for obesity. 8 (128) 1-17.<\/li>\n
  3. Resnik, D. (2010) Trans-fat bans and human freedom. The American Journal of Bioethics.<\/em> 10 (3), 27-32.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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