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For Better Health, Eat Mediterranean-Style
What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
People who live in some Mediterranean countries get diabetes and heart disease less often than people in other parts of the world. Some people have suggested that the reason might have something to do with the eating style of the Mediterranean region. Compared to the typical American diet, a Mediterrranean-style diet includes more nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. It also includes fewer carbohydrates and healthier types of fats, such as olive oil. This type of diet lowers the risk for heart disease and diabetes in people who are at risk for getting them. However, we do not know whether following such a diet can help people who already have diabetes or heart disease.
Why did the researchers do this particular study?
The researchers wanted to compare the effects of a Mediterranean-style diet and a low-fat diet in people recently diagnosed with diabetes.
Who was studied?
The study includes 215 overweight people with recently diagnosed diabetes who were not taking medicines for their disease.
How was the study done?
The researchers divided participants into two groups. One group learned how to follow a Mediterranean diet. The other learned how to follow a low-fat diet. The participants were followed for 4 years to find out whether they eventually needed medicines to control their diabetes.
What did the researchers find?
After 4 years, fewer participants who ate a Mediterranean diet needed diabetes medicines. Also, those who ate a Mediterranean diet lost more weight and reduced more risk factors for heart disease than those who ate a low-fat diet.
What were the limitations of the study?
The researchers did not keep track of the foods that participants actually ate. Also, doctors who prescribed diabetes medicines for participants knew which one of the diets the participants had been following, and the doctors’ prescribing decisions may have been influenced by which diet they thought would work better.
What are the implications of the study
Eating a Mediterranean-style diet instead of or in addition to the low-fat diet often recommended for good health may help people with newly diagnosed diabetes avoid or delay having to take medicines to control their disease.
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