We have read about everything about the Mediterranean diet: that it controls cholesterol, maintains optimal body weight or that it prevents hypertension. A new investigation, the most complete in more than two decades, points to even more and new benefits of this type of diet.
Internists from the (SEMI) have published a in the scientific journal The Lancet which shows that the Mediterranean diet It is vital in those patients who have already suffered a . This can be heart disease, heart attack, or heart failure.
The , in which more than 1,000 people have been analyzed for seven years, was to demonstrate which type of diet (Mediterranean or ) was more beneficial to avoid suffering another coronary episode.
The mean age of the participants was 59 years, which is precisely when the highest coronary incidence occurs. And most of the volunteers were men (82.5%).
This essay, emphasizes one of the authors, Dr. Jose Lopez Miranda“is a pioneer in the world.”
“This study shows for the first time that, once the disease and its risk factors have been controlled, if a Mediterranean diet is followed, the probability of suffering another cardiovascular event is drastically reduced,” says the head of the Hospital’s Internal Medicine Service. Reina Sofía de Córdoba University (HURS) a.
Key to reducing one in four cases
Both the Mediterranean diet, based on traditional cuisine, and the low-fat diet, in which the intake of foods with reduced fat content is prioritized, are heart healthy.
However, the benefits of Mediterranean for patients with a history of cardiovascular disease are “superior.”
“It can be considered the only trial in the last 23 years that irrefutably evaluates the effect of the Mediterranean diet in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease”
“These patients reduce, in figures greater than 25%, the risk of having a new cardiac event again. And with the Mediterranean diet, compared with the low-fat diet, prevent one in four major cardiovascular events“, specifies.
The most risky patients (with arterial hypertension, being overweight or , cholesterol or ) are the most likely to suffer another cardiovascular pathology again. It is estimated to be 25-33% in 5-7 years.
For this reason, if you follow a Mediterranean diet, you avoid suffering from another cardiovascular disease, “which can be a heart attack, a heart attack, and even sudden death.”
“But it is complementary to the treatment that these patients have. If, in addition, they submit to a Mediterranean lifestyle rich in extra virgin olive oil, one in four events is reduced ”, he points out.
Mediterranean diet: Why is it the best to take care of the heart?
According to collect The Lancethe (promoted by the Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, the HURS and the University of Córdoba) “can be considered the only trial in the last 23 years that reliably evaluates the effect of the Mediterranean diet on the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease” .
The Mediterranean diet is once again the protagonist for its benefits on people’s health. And, this time, it has been shown by the scientific evidence.
It is a diet that stands out for its high consumption of vegetables (fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts), bread and olive oil. Precisely, EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) is the product that has made the difference.
This is what Dr. López Miranda points out.
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“Foods rich in carbohydrates are replaced by others rich in monounsaturated fats, that is, the “.
It is established by a decalogue to follow a diet that keeps us away from diseases:
1. use olive oil as main fat.
2. Consume foods of plant origin such as fruits and vegetables galore.
3. Foods from cereals, preferably integral.
4. Opt for little processed products, fresh and seasonal.
5. Daily consumption of dairy (cheese, yogurt…).
6. The Red meatwith moderation.
7. Consumption of fish at least once or twice a week. Eggs, three or four units a week.
8. The ideal dessert: fruit. The sweets and cakesfor occasional consumption.
9. Although it is a traditional food of the Mediterranean diet, it should be consumed in moderation.
10. Perform every day.
The Mediterranean diet is very healthy “for its wide variety of traditional foods, and with a large component of cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, nuts.”
It is a model rich in fat “but not at the expense of the Western model, which is of animal origin, but rather it comes from extra virgin olive oil.”
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We live in a society marked by speed and fast food, which are incompatible with a rich and healthy diet. Ultra-processed food is a concept of food that is totally contrary to the Mediterranean diet.”
First cause of death
Cardiovascular diseases are the
Only in the year 2020, 119,853 people died from cardiovascular causes. This represents 24.3% of the total deaths.
It also represents the ailment to which the highest health spending is allocated, not only in Spain, but also in Europe.
During the first year of the pandemic, every day 328 people lost their lives from cardiovascular disease. However, it can be avoided.
As pointed out by the World Health Organization (WHO), 80% of heart attacks and strokes are preventable with healthy lifestyle habits.
Hence the importance of a varied and balanced diet, regular physical exercise and avoiding harmful habits such as alcohol and tobacco.
Women continue to be the most affected. With the figures for 2020, 8,000 more women died from cardiovascular causes than men.
According to data from the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI), it is the leading cause of hospital admission. This pathology affects 1.89% of the Spanish population over 18 years of age.
“In Spain there are more than 750,000 elderly people with heart failure, and the prevalence increases slightly every year. In people over 80 years of age, it can exceed 9%”, points out the…