Recently I’ve read a post in this blog where the arguments are a series of articles about “Mediterranean diet helps….but not much“:
- Mediterranean diet and insulin sensitivity, lipid profile and blood pressure levels, in overweight and obese people – The researchers aimed to investigate if overweight and obese adults “close” to Mediterranean diet present better insulin, lipids profile and better pressure levels, compared to individuals close to a more Westernized diet
Substantially they say:
Adherence to Mediterranean diet has already been correlated with better glycemic indices, with a more attractive lipid profile and with lower blood pressure levels in general population. Some studies have also investigated these relationships in people with metabolic syndrome or in elderly people
The results of this study are:
Adherence to Mediterranean diet is modestly associated with a better insulin sensitivity, lower levels of total cholesterol and lower levels of systolic blood pressure in overweight and obese subjects. This may suggest that compared to general population, the beneficial effect of this diet in cardiovascular system of excess body weight people is limited.
According to these findings, the consumption of Mediterranean diet is associated with lower prevalence and better control of high blood pressure levels and this is in agreement with the Lyon Diet Heart study and other studies.
We did not find an independent association of diastolic blood pressure with Mediterranean diet in overweight and obese people, when we analyze further with multiple regression models.
This maybe due to the small variation of diastolic pressure or to the fact that the diastolic pressure is correlated to obesity per se rather than any type of diet. The fact that excess body weight is correlated with higher levels of insulin resistance, blood lipids and blood pressure levels and also with a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia may partially explain the modest impact of Mediterranean diet in this case.
Moreover, the protective role of Mediterranean diet may be weaker as it cannot counteract the effects of obesity-related increased inflammatory adipokines which promote and maintain the above mentioned cardiovascular risk factors.
The researchers admit some limitations to these words:
- This is a cross-sectional study, so it could not establish causal relationships but only states hypotheses
- A possible overestimation of blood pressure due to the “white coat effect”
So the Mediterranean diet is acceptable by most of the people for long term, its adoption could play some role in preventing or delaying coronary disease in overweight and obese people that are already at risk, but further investigation is needed in this field. – More info in the full article of this research
The post continue with another experience of a travel in Tuscany:
Re-examine the true nature of a Mediterranean diet. We are told that it is all olive oil, lean meat and tomatoes but it seems that such a menu is not at all typical. We have been sold an inaccurate caricature.
He say:” As you can see from the photos and the description, this dinner was anything but high-carb, low-fat. And it didn’t contain much olive oil, the supposed backbone of the Mediterranean diet. In fact, the salad pictured above didn’t even have olive oil in the vinaigrette. Most of the calories in this particular meal came from pork fat, which is the real fatty backbone of the true Mediterranean diet, not olive oil.”
Sure this phrases said by a man that (in base of its “About Me” page) is: Dr. Michael R. Eades is the best selling author of Protein Power, and health care expert in nutritional science, low carb diets, and other health issues.
Maybe could be useful to read this post about the comparisons of the Mediterranean diet and the other “Fad” diets
I conclude with some questions?
- What do they refer to when they say “Close to the Mediterranean diet“?
- Do they know that the Mediterranean diet is not a diet but a way to eat used by people who live in the Mediterranean countries?
- Do they know that there are thousand of recipes and dishes that it’s practically impossible to classify them?
- Do they know that in Italy the northern regions (As Tuscany is) are not part of the Mediterranean than southern?
Try to compare the use of Olive Oil in the cuisine of the regions in the south of Italy…take Sicilian recipes as example.
“Now” you can have all information to judge by your self…
