It is well known that products used in the cuisines of Mediterranean countries have a good effect on he alth, appearance and well-being. The results of recent studies have confirmed that the Mediterranean diet, enriched with olive oil, almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts, reduces the risk of serious cardiovascular diseases by up to 30%, such as stroke or heart attack.
The Mediterranean dietis gaining a growing group of supporters all over the world, including Poland. In addition to the taste of Italian, Spanish and Greek dishes based on olive oil, more and more is being said about the role they play in the prevention of heart and circulatory diseases, which are the cause of almost half of the deaths of both women and men. This is confirmed by detailed studies, including PREDIMED study conducted in cooperation with the Instytut Zdrowia im. Carlos III and under the patronage of the Spanish Ministry of He alth. His results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The results of the study confirmed that a Mediterranean diet enriched with olive oil and nuts by up to 30% reduces the risk of serious cardiovascular diseases.
MEDITERRANEAN DIET and CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
The PREDIMED study " The role of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease " (International Nut and Dried Fruit www.nutfruit.org) was carried out with the collaboration of many research groups from various universities and hospitals in Spain. The Borges Mediterranean Group, a producer of olive oil, nuts and dried fruit, known in Europe and Poland asBorges, also participated.The results of the study were published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" by the Massachusetts Medical Society, one of the world's leading medical journals.
What was the PREDIMED research about?
The PREDIMED trial is a multicentre, randomized and controlled clinical trial over 5 years. A total of 7447 people aged 55-80 years old, 57% of whom were women, participated in the study. None of these individuals had a previous cardiovascular event, but all were at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The participants stayed randomlyassigned to groups that followed one of the three diets:MediterraneanSupplemented with Olive Oil, Mediterranean Enriched Nut Blend, and a Normal Low Fat Diet. Participants regularly took part in individual and group educational workshops on the diet used and, depending on the dietary group, received free dietary supplements - olive oil or a mixture of nuts (almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts), as well as additional small gifts.
The he althiest - a diet rich in nuts
In an average of five years of follow-up, 288 participants experienced a major cardiovascular event. Among those following the Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, 96 such cases were reported, in the group of participants following the Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts - 83 cases, and in the group following the standard low-fat diet - as many as 109 cases. This means that the risk of cardiovascular disease was reduced by 30% for people who consumed nuts and 28% for people who consumed olive oil. No weight gain or other adverse dietary effects were observed during the study period. The above conclusions are part of the PREDIMED study, a long-term project carried out by 16 research groups in 7 regions of Spain between 2003 and 2011 to evaluate the impact of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in high-risk people.
Jordi Salas: "Dietary recommendations should be revised in the future"
According to Jordi Salas, president of INC's World Forum on Research and Dissemination of He althy Nutrition, "for the first time in a scientific study,Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease , and it has been shown that morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease are lower in those following the Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts compared to those following a low-fat diet. ' According to Jordi Salas, “the main message of this study is that people who consume olive oil and nuts are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease or death from cardiovascular causes. Therefore, dietary recommendations should be reviewed in the future to take account of new data. ”
Source: press materials of the Borges Mediterranean Group
Press materials