Naturally reduce diabetes risk Mediterrane-Diet helps to lose weight and prevent diabetes

Study proves the health benefits of Mediterranean diet

"You are what you eat," it is said in the vernacular and even in ancient Chinese wisdom, the diet is seen as the foundation of health. That diet has a massive impact on health, studies prove again and again. This is also the case of a recent work by a German nutrition institute, which examined the health benefits of Mediterranean food. With a positive result, as it turned out. According to the scientists, the Mediterranean diet protects against cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and possibly even cancer.

The new nutritional analysis was carried out by the German Institute for Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE). According to the researchers, a Mediterranean diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, olive oil, nuts and fish, among other things, can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, such as a heart attack, even outside the Mediterranean. The results were recently published in the journal "BMC Medicine".

Vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, legumes and olive oil characterize, among other things, the Mediterranean diet, which has been proven to have health benefits. (Photo: exclusive-design / fotolia.com)

Is the Mediterranean diet the same for everyone??

So far, it was unclear whether a Mediterranean diet also brings health benefits outside the Mediterranean area. "It is, after all, a regional diet that is socially and culturally influenced by the Mediterranean," explains Professor Matthias Schulze, Head of the Department of Molecular Epidemiology at the DifE in a press release on the study results. In a study, the institute examined whether the positive aspects of the Mediterranean diet were also evident in German subjects despite cultural differences.

27,500 subjects

In the analysis, the data of around 27,500 people were evaluated. It was also considered how strong the subjects were to the diet. According to the nutrition experts, a relatively strict adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a significantly reduced risk (-20 percent) of developing type 2 diabetes. In addition, there was a lower risk of suffering a heart attack. For subjects who only partly followed the Mediterranean diet, these benefits could not be determined to that extent.

Mediterranean food has proven itself many times

Other studies have already dealt with the positive effects of the Mediterranean diet. "According to current scientific knowledge, the Mediterranean diet protects against cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and cancer," write the DIfE researchers. Mediterranean diets have long been considered highly recommended for diabetes. It should also promote fertility in assisted pregnancies.

What makes the Mediterranean fare?

The Mediterranean diet is strongly influenced by the culture and the conditions of the Mediterranean. In particular, the following products make up this form of nutrition:

• Lots of vegetables,
• many fruits,
• nuts,
• seed,
• fish,
• legumes,
• Grain,
• olive oil,
• little meat,
• Dairy products,
• moderate alcohol consumption.

From the Mediterranean diet to the Nordic diet?

The DIfE nutrition experts also investigated whether the health benefits were also achieved when using common foods from Northern Europe. The "Nordic Diet" includes apples, pears, berries, root vegetables, cabbage, wholegrain cereals, rye bread, cereals, fish, dairy products, potatoes and regionally typical vegetable fats. However, the epidemiologists were unable to observe any clear relationships to chronic diseases. "Nevertheless, the results indicate that people who follow this diet could be less likely to develop heart attacks," the researchers conclude.

Can these diets prevent cancer?

A clear connection between the Nordic and Mediterranean diets could not find the researchers. "Nevertheless, it is possible that the Mediterranean Diet and Nordic Diet can reduce the risk of cancer within the German population," says Cecilia Galbete, the lead author of the study. Here, further studies must focus on individual cancers.

A clear nutritional recommendation for everyone

Finally, the DIfE experts aim to develop clear and easy-to-implement nutritional recommendations that are universal and cross-cultural in countering common diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. (Vb)