Mediterranean Diet Cuts Heart Disease In Half

Research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego claims that eating a Mediterranean diet can cut heart disease in half over a ten year period. OK, not exactly half, but 47 percent, which is close enough for a headline. Science Daily reports on the study, which was conducted in Greece, where people have a good idea of what constitutes a Mediterranean diet. In this case, researchers at Harokopio University in Athens studied health data from more than 2,500 Greek adults, ages 18 to 89, who provided researchers with information each year from 2001 to 2012. The participants also completed in-depth surveys about their medical records, lifestyle and dietary habits at the start of the study, after five years and after 10 years. What did they find? The researchers scored participants’ diets on a scale from 1 to 55 based on their self-reported frequency and level of intake for 11 food groups. Those who scored in the top-third in terms of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, indicating they closely followed the diet, were 47 percent less likely to develop heart disease over the 10-year follow-up period as compared to participants who scored in the bottom-third, indicating they did not closely follow the diet. Each one-point increase in the dietary score was associated with a 3 percent drop in heart disease risk. The researchers point out that while there is no set Mediterranean diet, it usually emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, olive oil and even a glass of red wine. Earlier research has shown that following the traditional Mediterranean diet is linked to weight loss, reduced risk of diabetes, lower blood pressure and lower blood cholesterol levels, in addition to reduced risk of heart disease.