The Mediterranean Diet Could Help Reverse Metabolic Syndrome
The Mediterranean diet along with supplemental extra-virgin olive oil and nuts could help reverse metabolic syndrome, Spanish researchers say in a study that was published Tuesday. Some 25 of adults suffer from metabolic syndrome, which increases their risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes. The disease itself is the result of a combination of at least three of the following symptoms high blood pressure, blood sugar, triglycerides, low HDL-cholesterol and obesity. But according to the results of a clinical trial published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the Mediterranean diet  consisting of fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, and limited bad fats  can reverse the diagnosis. Researchers put 5,801 men and women ages 55-80 on a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, supplemented with nuts, or a low fat diet as a control group. While 64 of the participants had metabolic syndrome at the beginning of the study, 28.2 of people on the diet with the syndrome no longer met the criteria after just under 5 years. "Because there were no between-group differences in weight loss or energy expenditure, the change is likely attributable to the difference in dietary patterns," said Dr. Jordi Salas-Salvad, a co-author of the study. However, according to the study, "we found no beneficial effect of a Mediterranean diet on incidence of new-onset metabolic syndrome"  meaning the diet doesn't help prevent the syndrome from occurring, a finding different from that of previous similar studies.