Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes eating foods like fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, high-fiber grains and breads, and olive oils. Meat, cheese, and sweets are very limited. These recommended foods are rich with monounsaturated fats, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Although this diet is similar to the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association general dietary guidelines, it is not exactly the same. On the Mediterranean diet, an average of 35% of calories can come from fat, mainly from unsaturated oils, such as fish oils, olive oil, and certain nut or seed oils (such as canola, soybean, or flaxseed oil). These types of oils may have a protective effect on the heart.
Resveratrol is a member of a group of plant compounds called polyphenols. These compounds are thought to have antioxidant properties, protecting the body against the kind of damage linked to increased risk for conditions such as cancer and heart disease. Resveratrol is found in the skin of red grapes, but other sources include peanuts and berries. Because resveratrol is thought to have so many health benefits, it's not surprising that a number of manufacturers have tried to capitalize by selling resveratrol...
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Initial studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet may reduce the rate of a second heart attack and death in people who adopt the diet following a heart attack.1 Further research is needed, but current studies reinforce the importance of eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and high-fiber breads and whole grains. Furthermore, incorporating a moderate amount of fats from nuts, seeds, and foods high in linolenic acid (such as walnuts, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, and canola oil) may also help prevent heart disease.2
Citations
De Lorgeril MD, et al. (1999). Mediterranean diet, traditional risk factors, and the rate of cardiovascular complications after myocardial infarction: Final report of the Lyon diet heart study. Circulation, 99(6): 779-785.
Kris-Etherton P, et al. (2001). Lyon diet heart study: Benefits of a Mediterranean-style, National Cholesterol Education Program/American Heart Association Step I dietary pattern on cardiovascular disease. Circulation, 103(13): 1823-1825.
| Author | Robin Parks, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD - Cardiology |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition |
| Last Updated | May 29, 2008 |
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