Study Shows Mediterranean Diet Health Benefits
We’ve all heard of the Mediterranean diet, which is a diet rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, fish, fruits, vegetables, and even the occasional glass of wine with dinner. Now, a new study published on the website of the New England Journal of Medicine announced findings that show a definite clinical benefit to the Mediterranean diet. The findings show that the risk of heart disease was reduced by 30% in patients following the diet, compared to similar patients in the study who were not on the diet.
The study was a multicenter trial conducted in Spain, and there were a total of 7,447 patients enrolled in a control group (regular diet) and two study groups (one receiving extra virgin olive oil and one receiving extra nuts). The unadjusted hazard ratio (a statistical measure of likelihood of experiencing an event) of having heart disease was 0.70 (95% CI, 0.53 – 0.91) for the Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.53 -0.94) for a Mediterranean diet with extra nuts. The risk of stroke was also significantly reduced on the Mediterranean diet compared with control. It is important to note that patients in the study were allowed to continue their regular therapies of cardiovascular related drugs (e.g. statins, blood pressure pills, aspirin, etc.). Statistical analysis showed that the findings were independent of the study patients’ underlying drug therapy.
For more information, see the study findings available on the New England Journal’s website: NEJM.org