Another diet and nutrition study has been released that points to health benefits of following a Mediterranean type diet. Researchers looked at brain scans of more than 700 people in New York and found subjects who followed a Mediterranean diet closely were less likely to have infarcts, which are little areas of damaged tissue, in their brains. People who have these infarcts in their brain tissue are more likely to suffer from strokes and dementia.
The Mediterranean diet is also a very heart-healthy diet because it's low in saturated fats form red meat and contains lots of vegetables, fruits, omega-3 fats and whole grains.
According to the Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust, the Mediterranean Diet was introduced in 1993 by Oldways, Harvard School of Public Health and the World Health Organization. It is based on the traditional foods eaten by people living in the Mediterranean region, especially Greece.
The diet includes:
*olives and olive oil
*whole grains, mostly in bread and cereal rather than pasta
*very little red meat
*fish and seafood
*some cheese, but less milk
*lots of vegetables and fruit
*legumes and nuts
*red wine
People who live in this region of the Mediterranean tend to eat a diet high in fat, but they also have a much lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer than people in other parts of the world. This is unusual, since most high-fat diets are correlated with a higher incidence of disease and death. This difference could be due to the use of olive oil rather than other types of fats. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that keeps your arteries healthy.
More than likely, though, the difference is due to the whole diet, not just the olive oil. The Mediterranean diet is also very high in fiber and antioxidants from vegetables, legumes and nuts -- much higher than the typical Western diet -- and low in saturated fat. Very little red meat is eaten in this region and milk consumption is limited as well, except for some cheese and yogurt.
source: about
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