Mediterranean diet significantly lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease

A study has found that following a Mediterranean-style diet cuts the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study, which appeared in the journal Metabolism, revealed that a Mediterranean diet lowers cardiovascular disease risk by reducing atherogenic lipoproteins.

• Researchers at the University of Connecticut aimed to determine the effect of a Mediterranean-style, low-glycemic-load diet on lipoprotein atherogenicity in women with metabolic syndrome.
• For the study, the researchers recruited 83 women with metabolic syndrome.
• Forty-one of the participants followed a Mediterranean-style, low-glycemic-load diet, while 42 of them followed the same diet and a medical food containing phytosterols, soy protein, and extracts from hops and acacia.
• The researchers measured the plasma lipids, apolipoproteins, lipoprotein subfractions and particle size, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, and lipoprotein of the participants at baseline, week 8, and week 12 of the intervention.
• The participants also recorded their dietary intake at the same time points to assess compliance.
• Results showed that following a Mediterranean diet resulted in lower energy intake from carbohydrate and fat while increasing energy intake from protein.
• Following a Mediterranean diet also significantly increased energy intake from monounsaturated fatty acids, while trans-fatty acid intake decreased.
• Intake of omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid also increased.
• The levels of LDL cholesterol decreased, while the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased.
• All women also experienced a reduction in Apolipoprotein B, but the reduction was greater among those who also consumed medicinal food.

The findings of the study suggested that adhering to a Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease risk by improving cholesterol levels, and adding a medicinal food may have an additional benefit.

To read more studies on heart-healthy diets, visit HeartDisease.news.

Journal Reference:

Jones JL, Comperatore M, Barona J, Calle MC, Andersen C, McIntosh M, Najm W, Lerman RH, Fernandez ML. A MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE, LOW-GLYCEMIC-LOAD DIET DECREASES ATHEROGENIC LIPOPROTEINS AND REDUCES LIPOPROTEIN (A) AND OXIDIZED LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN IN WOMEN WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. Metabolism. March 2012; 61(3): 366-372. DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2011.07.013