Is the Mediterranean diet the 'best in the world'? Study Finds: Heart and Brain Love This Way of Eating

How unhealthy are Chinese eating habits?

According to a study in The Lancet, China ranks first in the world in terms of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cancer mortality related to poor diet . Therefore, having a healthy eating habit is very important.

Some time ago, "US News and World Report" released the list of the best diets for 2022. Which eating habits are the healthiest?

The judging panel of this list is composed of 27 experts who evaluate 40 dietary patterns in the world. The evaluation contents include whether it is easy to implement daily, short-term and long-term weight loss effects, heart health, diabetes prevention, safety and nutrition. In terms of aspects, the annual overall best diet ranking and 8 related sub-lists are finally obtained.

In the list of the best diets for 2022, the top four are Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, The Flexitarian Diet and "spiritual"/brain diet ( MIND Diet).

Among them, the Mediterranean diet has ranked first in the overall list of the best diets for five consecutive years , and in the sub-lists of the best plant-based diet, the best heart-healthy diet, the best diabetes diet, the healthiest diet, and the easiest-to-follow diet. It also won the first place in the list.

What is the "Mediterranean Diet"? Why can you "take the lead" among multiple opponents?

1. What is the "Mediterranean Diet"?

Let's first understand what kind of eating pattern the Mediterranean diet is.

The Mediterranean diet is a simple, light and nutritious diet style based on countries such as France, Italy, Spain and Greece around the Mediterranean Sea .

The Mediterranean diet has the following seven characteristics:

① It is recommended to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables , including beans, and it is recommended to eat 7-10 servings a day;

② It is recommended that the staple food be mainly whole grains , such as bread and pasta made of natural grains such as wheat and oats;

③ It is recommended to eat a handful of nuts every day , such as walnuts, cashews, almonds, etc., and pay attention to avoid salt-baked, honey-baked and candied nuts;

④ It is recommended to replace lard, butter and margarine with healthy oils, such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, etc .;

⑤ It is recommended to limit the intake of high-fat dairy products (such as whole milk, cheese and ice cream, etc.), which can be replaced by skim milk, fat-free yogurt and low-fat cheese ;

⑥ It is suggested that spices can be used instead of salt as seasoning food;

⑦Under the condition of the doctor's permission, it is recommended to drink red wine appropriately , such as drinking a glass with dinner ( but if you do not have the habit of drinking, it is not recommended to drink, and it is recommended to use purple grape juice as a substitute ) .

(Picture Oldways; Sinicization: Jin Jin)

So what's so good about this eating habit? In this regard, nutritionist Gu Zhongyi introduced that the Mediterranean diet mainly has the following four advantages:

• There are many foods to choose from, and certain foods will not be excluded in particular, and the nutrition is very balanced and comprehensive;
• The fish, olive oil and nuts and seeds contained in it are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which are not only good for cardiovascular health, but also can prevent cognitive decline such as Alzheimer's disease to a certain extent;
• Sufficient intake of fruits and vegetables is also helpful for enhancing immunity, maintaining intestinal health, preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer;
• A diet low in saturated fat and based primarily on plant-based foods can help with weight loss (reducing waist size), blood sugar control, and insulin resistance.

2. Adhere to the "Mediterranean diet", what can the body gain?

The Mediterranean diet is recognized as one of the healthiest eating patterns in the world. If you can stick to this eating pattern for a long time, it will bring the following benefits to your body.

1. Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease recurrence

In May 2022, the results of a large-scale clinical trial published in The Lancet showed that the Mediterranean diet was superior to low-fat in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by 24.7- 28.1%, and this risk reduction effect was more pronounced in men, up to 33.1%.

2. Prevention of senile dementia

In July 2022, a study published in "JAMA Network Open" found that among Hispanic/Latino middle-aged and older adults, high adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with better cognitive performance, reduced age-related Learning and memory declines are associated.

3. Protect heart health

A cohort study of 25,994 U.S. women found an association between the most adherent Mediterranean diet (39% of the total study population) and the least adherent (24.8% of the total study population) for cardiovascular events. The relative risk was reduced by about a quarter.

4. Control and prevent diabetes

A study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that a Mediterranean diet that includes extra virgin olive oil may help manage diabetes.

3. What does the diet pattern suitable for Chinese people look like?

In fact, it is not necessary to strictly follow the Mediterranean diet to be the healthiest. A healthy eating pattern is often inseparable from these: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, a small amount of animal protein, and healthy fats. So how should we eat?

• fresh fruits and vegetables

Every meal should contain fresh vegetables, and the intake of fresh vegetables should be guaranteed to be more than 300 grams per day, half of which should be dark vegetables.

• Grain-based

The staple food is mainly cereals, with a daily intake of 200-300 grams of cereals, of which 50-150 grams are whole grains and miscellaneous beans, and 50-100 grams are potatoes.

• Eat more fish and poultry

Eat as much fish and poultry as possible, preferably 2 times a week or 300-500 grams of fish, and 300-500 grams of livestock and poultry meat. Eat less fatty meat, smoked and cured meat products, and control your daily meat intake between 120-200 grams.

• Reduce animal oil intake

Animal oils, such as lard, butter, butter, fatty meat, etc., are high in saturated fat. Eating too much will increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and certain cancers.

Therefore, it is recommended to reduce the intake of animal oil and replace it with oils rich in monounsaturated fatty acids such as olive oil, canola oil, high oleic acid peanut oil, camellia seed oil and almond oil, and control the intake of oil At 25-30 g/day.

The Mediterranean diet has many benefits, and it is not difficult to stick to this healthy eating pattern. Just eat more vegetables, fruits and whole grains, eat less red meat, and choose vegetable oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids, so you can easily enjoy the Mediterranean diet The health benefits it brings!

References:

[1] " Latest Ranking! Why does the "Mediterranean Diet" win the first place? The "ketogenic diet" is really unhealthy! ". Nutritionist Gu Zhongyi. 2021-01-07

[2] " Why is the "Mediterranean diet" always the "best in the world"?" Nutrition expert: Both the heart and the brain love this way of eating ." Life Times. 2018-07-10

[3]Delgado-Lista J， Alcala-Diaz J， Torres-Peña J， Quintana-Navarro G， Fuentes F， Garcia-Rios A et al. Long-term secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet and a low-fat diet (CORDIOPREV)： a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. 2022;399(10338)：1876-1885.

[4]Ahmad S， Demler O， Sun Q， Moorthy M， Li C， Lee I et al. Association of the Mediterranean Diet With Onset of Diabetes in the Women’s Health Study. JAMA Network Open. 2020;3(11)：e2025466.

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