Mediterranean diet may reduce inflammation
7th July 2004
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Some of the benefits of a
Mediterranean-type diet -- rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes and
olive oil and light on red meat -- may stem from the diet's effect
on inflammation, new research suggests.
In
a study from Greece, markers of inflammation and blood clotting that
are related to heart disease were lowest in people who adhered most
closely to the traditional Mediterranean diet.
It is too soon to say whether the Mediterranean diet was responsible
for the low levels of inflammation and blood-clotting markers, but
the findings do provide a plausible explanation of the diet's
benefits, according to the study's lead author.
"There is growing scientific evidence that diets high in fruits,
vegetables, legumes and whole grains and that include fish, nuts and
low-fat dairy products offer protective health benefits," Dr.
Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos of Harokopio University in Athens told
Reuters Health.
He noted that in the past few decades, a large body of evidence has
linked the Mediterranean diet to reductions in heart disease,
overall deaths and some kinds of cancer.
The latest results suggest that the Mediterranean diet protects the
heart by reducing inflammation, Panagiotakos said.
"Our findings render this dietary pattern extremely attractive for
public health purposes and should be adopted by almost everyone," he
said.
The results of the study appear in Wednesday's issue of the Journal
of the American College of Cardiology.
A Mediterranean-style diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, grains and
nuts. It includes few saturated fats like the ones in red meat but
plenty of healthier fatty acids like ones found in olive oil.
Inflammation is a prime suspect in a number of health problems,
including heart disease, so Panagiotakos and his colleagues set out
to measure the effect of a Mediterranean-style diet on inflammation
and blood-clotting.
Over the course of a year, the researchers interviewed roughly 3,000
Greek men and women. The researchers also measured several proteins
and other markers that are associated with inflammation and blood
clotting.
People who stuck most closely to a traditional Mediterranean diet
tended to have significantly lower levels of the inflammation and
blood-clotting markers, the researchers report.
To make sure that the low levels of these markers were truly related
to diet and were not a reflection of better overall health, the
researchers accounted for many other factors, including physical
activity, smoking, age, gender, socioeconomic status and several
health conditions.
Even after taking into account the other factors, the Mediterranean
diet was still associated with lower levels of inflammation and
blood-clotting markers.
SOURCE: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, July 7,
2004. - By Merritt McKinney
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