Thursday, February 26, 2009

Food for Thought Keeps The Body Young

By Dr. Lorna Mistranski

There is substantial research that shows a Mediterranean diet provides protection against type 2 diabetes.

The composites of what make the Mediterranean diet so perfect against type 2 is it is robust in olive oil, grains, nuts vegetables, and fish yet it is low in meat, alcohol, and dairy products.

Current evidence suggests that such a diet has a protective role in cardiovascular disease, but little is known about how this diet effects those with type 2 diabetes.

The study was conducted by taking 13,000 graduates from the University of Navarra in Spain who had no history of diabetes, and who were recruited between December 1999 and November 2007; the study consisted of having each participants dietary habits and health tracked.

The subjects started the study off by answering a questionnaire that was designed to gauge their overall dietary habits. The 136 questions that were given to the participants, specific questions were asked on how they cooked their foods, what types of oils they used, and dietary products they used.

The participants were then notified every two years by a questionnaire that asked each about their diet, lifestyle, and other medical conditions. From this information, researchers were able to pick up new cases of diabetes

The average follow up period turned out to be 4 years and researchers found that the subjects who stuck closely to the diet had a lower risk of diabetes. The diet was associated with an 83% relative reduction in the risk of developing diabetes.

An important thing to note is that participants who stuck strictly to the diet were thought to have the highest prevalence of risk factors for diabetes such as older age, a family history of diabetes, and a higher proportion of ex-smokers.

This was not the case. In fact, they had a lower risk of diabetes, suggesting that the diet might provide substantial protection.

The characteristics of the diet include a high intake of fiber and vegetable fat, a low intake of trans fatty acids, and a moderate intake of alcohol.

A primary element in this diet is the abundant use of virgin oil for cooking, frying, spreading on bread, and dressing salads.

The researchers concluded by calling for larger members and trials to confirm their findings.

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