The Advanced Mediterranean Diet

• July 5, 2011:  Mediterranean Diet Prevents Sudden Cardiac Death in Women

Reuters reported today that the Mediterranean diet is linked to reduced rates of sudden cardiac death in women.  Other factors contributing to prevention are maintainence of a healthy weight, exercise, and not smoking.

• November 15, 2010:  Mediterranean Diet Helps Prevent Middle-Age Weight Gain

Several mainstream media sources recently touted the Mediterranean diet as an effective method for prevention of the expected middle-age weight gain.  Reuters is one source, for example.  Men on the Mediterranean diet gained 2 lb (about a kilogram) less than other men over six years.  Mediterranean-dieting women gained weight too, but a whole 0.77 lb (0.35 kg) less than others.  [read more]

• June 8, 2010:  Mediterranean Diet Helps Even If Heart Disease Already Established

The Mediterranean diet preserves heart muscle performance and reduces future heart disease events, according to Greek researchers reporting in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 19, 2010. 

Reuters and other news services have covered the story.

The Mediterranean diet is well-established as an eating pattern that reduces the risk of death or illness related to cardiovascular disease—mostly heart attacks and strokes.  Most of the studies in support of the heart-healthy diet looked at development of disease in general populations.  The study at hand examined whether the diet had any effect on patients with known heart disease, which has not been studied much.  [read more]

• October 19, 2009:  Mediterranean Diet Linked to Lower Depression Risk

Numerous media outlets two weeks ago reported on a new study linking the Mediterranean diet with lower risk of depression.  Reuters is an example.  [read more]

• September 1, 2009:  Mediterranean Diet Controls Type 2 Diabetes, Drastically Reducing Need for Drugs

Bloomberg.com, CNN.com and ABC News today reported the results of a scientific study showing that people with type 2 diabetes eating a low-carb Mediterranean diet needed much less diabetic drug therapy than diabetics eating a standard low-fat diabetic diet.  [read more]

• August 12, 2009:  Mediterranean Diet and Exercise Cut Alzheimer Dementia Risk Up to 60%

• June 24, 2009:  Which Components of the Mediterranean Diet Prolong Life?

ABC News and others covered research findings from Harvard and the University of Athens which identified which components of the Mediterranean diet are associated with lower death rates:  moderate alcohol, low meat and meat products, [read more]

• April 14, 2009:  New Study Confirms Heart-Healthy Mediterranean Diet

Major media outlets in the last 48 hours have reported a new Canadian study that confirms the heart-healthy characteristics of the Mediterranean diet.  Examples are at Forbes.com, UPI.com, and The Wall Street Journal.  [read more]

• February 25, 2009:  Which Diet Is Better for Weight Loss:  Low-Carb or Low-Fat?
  

The New York Times online today reported on the latest diet research:  As long as you reduce calories, it doesn't matter how much of your diet is composed of fat versus carbohydrate versus protein.  The Times mentioned that one of the four diets studied was based on the Mediterranean diet.  [read more]

• February 10, 2009:  Mediterranean Diet Reduces Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is considered a precursor to dementia, although it does not always lead to dementia.  A study published this month in the Archives of Neurology indicates that adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduces both the risk of developing MCI and the risk of MCI conversion to Alzheimer dementia.  The story was reported today and yesterday by US News & World Report, USA Today, Bloomberg, and others.  [read more]

• December 9, 2008:  Mediterranean Diet + Nuts = Reversal of Metabolic Syndrome

An article published yesterday by Bloomberg.com presents results of a recent scientific study in Spain that showed reduction in "metabolic syndrome" by the Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts.  Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of clinical factors that are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic complications such as heart attack and stroke.  [read more]

• October 2, 2008:  Mediterranean Diet Dying Out In Its Birthplace

The New York Times on September 23, 2008, ran an article on the decline of the traditional Mediterranean diet in the Mediterranean region, focusing on Crete.  Children there have become alarmingly overweight and are showing the consequences: diaebtes, high cholesterol, fatty liver, etc.  Greek physicians are predicting this overweight generation will have shorter life spans and poorer health than thier parents.  [read more]

• September 19, 2008:  Huge Study Confirms Health and Longevity Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

Italian researchers reported in the September 11, 2008, online issue of the British Medical Journal what is already known:

“Greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a significant improvement in health status, as seen by a significant reduction in overall mortality (9%), mortality from cardiovascular diseases (9%), incidence of or mortality from cancer (6%), and incidence of Parkinsons’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease (13%).  These results seem to be clinically relevant for public health, in particular for … [read more]"

• July 18, 2008:  Study Compares Mediterranean, Low-Carb, and Low-Fat Weight-Loss Diets
  
  Yesterday’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine has a well-done study comparing the Mediterranean, low-carb, and low-fat weight-loss diets in an Israeli population over the course of two years.  The researchers conclude that “Mediterranean and low-carbohydrate diets may be effective alternatives to low-fat diets.  The more favorable effects on lipids (with the low-carbohydrate diet) and on glycemic control (with the Mediterranean diet) suggest that...[read more]