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Mediterranean Diet Prevents Diabetes, But Why?
by
Rachel Balik
Researchers in Spain found that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, but the reasons are unclear.
30-Second Summary
Long touted as a way for reducing the risk of heart disease, the Mediterranean diet is now linked to type 2 diabetes prevention. “Our prospective cohort study suggests that substantial protection against diabetes can be obtained with the traditional Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, vegetables, fruits, nuts, cereals, legumes, and fish but relatively low in meat and dairy products," the study’s researchers said.
The study has faced some criticism because it derived its results from a questionnaire, and the accuracy of self-reported information is not verifiable. However, after 4.4 years, those participants who said they followed a Mediterranean diet were 83 percent less likely to develop the disease.
The results of this study correlate with other findings. Although researchers have yet to understand exactly why, the Mediterranean diet is linked with reducing the risk of heart disease and even asthma in children. The connection is unclear but the results are not: “The message of the [asthma] study is that foods with high antioxidant levels are good for you,” researcher Dr. Paul Cullinan said.
Some experts believe olive oil is the essential component of the diet, while others stress the benefits of reducing red meat intake. Reducing meat consumption has become important for those seeking a healthier lifestyle, as emphasized by the flexitarian diet.
The study has faced some criticism because it derived its results from a questionnaire, and the accuracy of self-reported information is not verifiable. However, after 4.4 years, those participants who said they followed a Mediterranean diet were 83 percent less likely to develop the disease.
The results of this study correlate with other findings. Although researchers have yet to understand exactly why, the Mediterranean diet is linked with reducing the risk of heart disease and even asthma in children. The connection is unclear but the results are not: “The message of the [asthma] study is that foods with high antioxidant levels are good for you,” researcher Dr. Paul Cullinan said.
Some experts believe olive oil is the essential component of the diet, while others stress the benefits of reducing red meat intake. Reducing meat consumption has become important for those seeking a healthier lifestyle, as emphasized by the flexitarian diet.
Headline Link: ‘Mediterranean Diet May Ward Off Type 2 Diabetes’
The British Medical Journal published results of recent study conducted in Spain that found participants who stuck to a Mediterranean diet lowered their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 83 percent. The study utilized a questionnaire consisting of 136 questions about dietary intake and tracked 13,380 Spanish university graduates over a period of 4.4 years.
Source: Medline Plus
Background: Mediterranean diet may help prevent other diseases
In 2003, researchers found that the Mediterranean diet might prevent heart disease. Dr. Demosthenes Panagiotakos of Athens presented the findings at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. He said that an explanation for the positive effects of the diet was still undetermined. “Some have suggested it lowers blood pressure; others speculate it reduces cholesterol levels. Still others say it is not the diet itself but other characteristics of people who follow the diet, such as a healthy lifestyle,” Panagiotakos said. However, the study he conducted eliminated exercise as factor, and suggested the diet can reduce heart disease by 30 percent.
Source: WebMD
A 2007 study found the diet might also help to prevent asthma. Researchers from different countries studied nearly 700 children in Crete in order to understand why certain European countries have a higher instances of child asthma. The study found that in particular, eating fruit and nuts reduced asthma-related wheezing and that the Mediterranean diet on the whole reduced child asthma. Conversely, consuming margarine was found to increase risk of asthma.
Source: BBC
Related Topic: Reducing meat consumption
One element of the Mediterranean diet is that it has little or no red meat, and is primarily vegetable- and grain-based. The flexitarian diet is similar, aimed at people who are not vegetarians but would like to reduce their intake of red meat.
Source: findingDulcinea
Reference: The Mediterranean diet; guide to diabetes
The Mediterranean diet
The basic elements of the Mediterranean diet, as well as adjusted nutritional pyramids for both adults and children, are available from Oldways, a food-based think tank.
Source: Oldways
Diabetes resources
The findingDulcinea Diabetes Web Guide provides links to information about the symptoms of diabetes, as well as potential treatments and methods of prevention.
Source: findingDulcinea
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