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The Mediterranean diet: a healthy lifestyle with many benefits that you can adopt this year | CNN

2021-01-05T18:32:00.424Z


Among the effects that have been attributed to it are better heart health, better mental health, more longevity, among others. This is what you should know about the diet and how you can follow it. | Life | CNN


For the fourth consecutive year, the Mediterranean diet has been crowned the best among diets.

For years, several studies have pointed out the multiple benefits of this form of diet that reduces or eliminates processed foods and favors meals full of fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Among the effects that have been attributed to it are better heart health, better mental health, more longevity, among others.

This is what you should know about the diet and how you can follow it.

Delays cognitive decline

Are you concerned about your mental functions during times of most stress?

Well, you can cut your risk of cognitive decline in half by wisely following the Mediterranean diet, known for its emphasis on vegetables, whole grains, fish, and olive oil.

This is revealed by two new studies.

"People with greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet had a reduction of almost 45% to 50% in the risk of suffering impaired cognitive functions," said Dr. Emily Chew, lead author of the research and who heads the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications (DECA) at the National Eye Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Read more here.

Could prevent depression

One investigation looked at 41 studies on this topic and found a link between people's diet and their chances of developing depression.

People who followed a strict Mediterranean diet had a 33% lower risk of being diagnosed with depression compared to people who were less likely to follow those eating habits.

"There is compelling evidence showing that there is a relationship between the quality of your diet and your mental health," said Camille Lassale, associate researcher in the department of epidemiology and public health at University College London.

"This relationship goes beyond the effect of diet on the size of your body or other health aspects that can affect your mood."

People whose diets were high in inflammatory substances, such as processed meats, trans fat, and alcohol, were more likely to have depressive outcomes.

Read more here.

Gold medal for the best diet

The gold medal for best diet 2021 went to the Mediterranean diet for the fourth year in a row, according to rankings announced Monday by USNews & World Report.

Tied for the silver were the DASH diet, which stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension, and the flexitarian diet, which encourages being a vegetarian most of the time, but is flexible enough to allow for an occasional burger.

These high accolades are not surprising, as numerous studies have found that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression, and breast cancer.

Food from the sunny Mediterranean region has also been linked to stronger bones, a healthier heart, and a longer life.

More here.

Benefits for heart patients

A study by the European Society of Cardiology showed that people who have a history of cardiovascular disease and stick to this diet had 37% less mortality compared to those who did not.

The diet worked even better than several of the drugs prescribed for people with heart problems: statins.

On average, statins reduce the risk of heart problems by 24%, according to previous studies.

This means that the diet is emerging as a winner for heart health.

Read more about this study here.

The Mediterranean diet helps to take care of the health of the bones

A study published by the scientific journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that diet is also beneficial for bones.

The study investigated whether diet also affected the bone health of women who went through menopause.

The researchers found that women who followed a Mediterranean diet were less likely to suffer from hip fractures.

More about these benefits in this link.

It can help you have a younger and healthier brain

The researchers discovered this by looking at the brains of 674 people with an average age of 80.

These seniors were asked to complete food surveys regarding what they ate in the past year, and the researchers scanned their brains.

The group that ate the Mediterranean diet had heavier brains and more gray and white matter. In this study, higher fish consumption seemed to make a big difference in keeping your brain young.

Keep reading here.

How can you adopt a Mediterranean diet?

If you are already convinced of its many benefits, we have one more good news: the Mediterranean diet is relatively easy to follow.

It involves consuming vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes and peas, unrefined grains, olive oil, and fish.

You should also limit the daily consumption of meat and saturated fat, but on the other hand, it is advisable to have a glass of red wine with dinner.

You should include in your meals a greater intake of foods made mostly of plants: vegetables, fruits, grains and cereals.

You can eat fish and poultry at least twice a week.

You don't have to give up carbohydrates;

in fact, you should include three of those servings a day, especially from the whole grain variety.

What you typically have to limit is the amount of meat, dairy, and saturated fat you eat.

Cook more with olive oil, instead of butter.

Do you want to make the Mediterranean diet one of your goals this year?

Start by cooking one meal a week of beans, whole grains, and vegetables, using herbs and spices for flavor.

When one night a week is too easy, add two and make your meatless meals from there.

Grains that have changed little over the centuries, known as "ancient grains," are also a key feature of the Mediterranean diet.

Quinoa, amaranth, millet, farro, spelled, kamut (a grain of wheat said to have been discovered in an Egyptian tomb) and teff (an Ethiopian grain the size of a poppy seed) are some examples of ancient grains.

When you eat meat, eat small amounts.

For a main dish, that means no more than 3 ounces of chicken or lean meat.

Better yet: use small pieces of chicken or slices of lean meat to flavor a plant-based meal, like a stir fry.

And rethink the dessert.

Mediterranean cultures close their meals with seasonal fruits.

If you get tired of eating raw fresh fruit, get creative.

Poach pears in pomegranate juice with a little honey, then reduce the sauce and serve over Greek yogurt.

Roast pineapple or other fruits and drizzle with honey.

Make a fruit sorbet, including avocado (it's actually a fruit).

Fill a fig or date with goat cheese and sprinkle some nuts on it.

Create a crisp apple crumble with brown rice or even a whole wheat fruit tart.

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2021-01-05

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