Diet Rich in Healthy Fats Better Than No Fat Diet

Many are aware that the Mediterranean style diet has purported benefits for protecting the heart when compared to the standard american diet. But a new study released this July in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that the Mediterranean diet is also superior to the low fat diet when it comes to reducing risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

It has been decades since doctors and researchers recognized that those living in the Mediterranean region have low incidence of heart disease, and reason was given primarily to diet habits.
The Mediterranean diet rests its foundation on the consumption of healthy fats, namely from olive oil and nuts/seeds. It also has higher amounts of vegetables, fruits and whole grains and limited amounts of beef. Many will also associate the Mediterranean diet with a glass of red wine.

The Mediterranean diet was extensively studied and proven to lower heart disease risk. It was proven that healthy fats, mostly unsaturated can lower cholesterol and blood pressure. The food sources also contain high amounts of anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants that provide further benefit to the heart, blood vessels, as well as the whole body.

Researchers at the University of Barcelona wanted to test the Mediterranean diet against the ever popular low fat diet. They enrolled more than 750 men and women over the age of 55 with primary risk factors for heart disease including Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, and history of cigarette smoking. Each person was randomized to one of three groups; a low fat diet group, a Mediterranean diet group which used olive oil as primary fat source and a Mediterranean diet group that used nuts and seeds to get fat. After three months results were compared across the board.

They found that the Mediterranean diet was superior to the low fat diet for reducing cardiovascular disease risk regardless of using olive oil or nuts/seeds as primary fat source. The Mediterranean diet lowered blood pressure, improved blood sugar regulation, and raised HDL (good cholesterol) while lowering lipids significantly more than the low fat group. The individuals in the low fat diet group had little improvement and the HDL (good cholesterol) actually decreased in this group.

The authors stress that long term studies are needed, to support previous evidence that the Mediterranean diet can reduce stroke and heart attack incidence. But these prelimenary results are encouraging.

This may represent a true shift in dietary counseling and the diet industry in general. A healthy diet should focus on whole foods nutrition, including fat sources, in order to provide balance nutrition for the body.