More evidence of benefits of Mediterranean diet for reducing diabetes risk

Wed, 09 Mar 2011
A comprehensive review of research comprising data on around half a million people has provided further evidence of how a Mediterranean diet can lower the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure .

It also confirmed the belief that people who commonly eat meals rich in olive oil, fresh vegetables, fish and fruit were less likely to suffer the health problems associated with heart disease and can offer protection against conditions such as cancer and dementia.

The study, by scientists at Harokopio University of Athens and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, investigated the impact of the Mediterranean diet on metabolic syndrome, a combination of disorders that includes diabetes.

It showed that research into the Mediterranean did have beneficial effects in lowering metabolic syndrome itself and its different factors, such as high blood pressure, a large waist, and a greater amount of triglycerides in the bloodstream. It claimed that antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects of the diet contribute to a reduction of heart disease risk.

Demosthenes Panagiotakos, lead researcher on the study, commented "To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first work that has systematically assessed, through a large meta-analysis, the role of the Mediterranean diet on metabolic syndrome and its components. Our results add to the existing knowledge, and further demonstrate the protective role and the significance that lifestyle factors, and mainly dietary habits, have when it comes to the development and progression of the metabolic syndrome."

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