The Mediterranean Diet’s Shortcomings
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For years we have heard that the Mediterranean Diet, a form of nutrition modeled after the food habits of those living along the Mediterranean, improves health and well-being. In reality things aren’t as rosy.
Is It Healthy?
Even a meta analysis published in the renowned British Medical Journal came to the conclusion that this diet plan, mainly consisting of vegetables, fruits, and legumes, as well as moderate amounts of healthy fats and red wine, reduces the risk of dying from cancer and lowers the chances of developing cardiovascular, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
But a study published in January found that things aren’t as simple: The Internal Medicine Department of the Carlos Haya Hospital in Malaga, Spain, examined 2270 adults for cardiovascular risk factors. 60% of these were obese, 65% had high cholesterol levels, 33% suffered from high blood pressure and 7% were found to have diabetes.
Rate of Heart Disease Similar in Spain and US
All in all and at least for the subjects of this study, the risk of coronary disease was as high as in the US and actually higher than in Great Britain – two countries often cited as examples of bad eating habits.
The study’s leader, Dr. Ricardo Gómez-Huelgas, also told press agency ANI that “cardiovascular diseases account for 33% of deaths in Spain, making it the main cause of mortality in the country.”
Was it a Fad Diet?
There is a simple explanation for this discrepancy between the earlier positive and now negative scientific findings of this style of nutrition: The main cause for cardiovascular disease is obesity. And no matter how healthy the ingredients of your food are, eaten in excess they will make you gain weight.
In healthy quantities the Mediterranean diet may very well be superior to other forms of nutrition, but going Mediterranean is no excuse to gorge yourself in food, even if it’s olive oil and legumes.
Picture courtesy of “yeah chià!“.
Tags: food, health, nutrition, obesity
12 Comments
I’m going to have to disagree on this one. That Spanish study only tells something about the health of spaniards, NOT spaniards on the traditional Mediterranian diet. The assumption that you are on the Mediterranian diet just because you live in a Mediterranian country is horribly wrong. Here is a review of 12 studies backing that up: http://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a1344.long
Yes, that is possible. It would be really interesting to examine if and how eating habits have changed in that region.
Even if that’s true, you’ll have to admit that they have healthier habits than many others. I went to Greece and I saw how this people eat, you’d be surprised how many veggies and fruits they consume (along with lots of olive oil which has countless benefits for the heart and cardiovascular system)
Assuming of course you won’t go overboard like Evil said, in the end it’s still calories IN vs calories OUT.
FINALLY, after about 1 hour i found where the pizza was.
Hamid, you cracked me up!
hmmm id rather have a healthy diet rather than a junk diet since there are many benefits to having a healthy diet. Good for heart too
I briefly dated a greek girl last summer. She was overweight so the mediterranean wasn’t working with her at least. she did say most people around there are extremely appearance conscious so one reason might be the fact the people stress alot more about how they look like.
I live in Greece and over the last years nutrition is going down hill with lots of fast food and junk food due to very little time for people to cook healthy. So the Mediterranean Diet is fading away.
That is sad to hear. Soon we all eat the same, wear the same and listen to the same stuff. Maybe mankind will then get along with itself better, but I always think that discovering the differences of another culture is mightily interesting.
Yup, I read somewhere that Greece has become the fattest country in Europe. Crete was once known as the island of the centenaries. Not anymore…
I wasn’t talking about the city but the countryside in Greece. Nowadays all the cities around the world have more or less the same diet based on junk food
all i seen was cleavage…