Mediterranean Diet Beats Low Fat?

A new Spanish study concludes that a Mediterranean-style diet featuring a plentiful supply of heart-healthy fats found in olive oil and nuts was more effective at protecting older, high-risk people against heart disease. The three-month study comprised 772 seniors with Type-2 diabetes and three or more risk factors for heart disease. Ninety percent of the participants were overweight.

The participants were randomly assigned one of three diets:

• A low-fat diet in which all fats were restricted, with a brochure from the American Heart Association to help
• A Mediterranean diet complete with free supplies of nuts, plus detailed nutritional education, including shopping lists and recipes
• A Mediterranean diet with a free supply of olive oil and the same kind of nutritional help as the nuts group

All three groups ate more whole grains, fruit and vegetables, and cut back on sugars, meat and dairy products. However, the two groups on the Mediterranean diet showed greater improvements in blood pressure, insulin resistance, inflammation markers and cholesterol. Weight remained steady in all three groups.

Those on the low-fat diet received much less help than those on the Mediterranean-style diets, but the study does seem to confirm what we’ve been learning about dietary fats: that we should focus our fat intake on the "good," unsaturated fats, which counter the harmful effects of saturated fats.

More on Oils and Fats

• Good Fats, Bad Fats
• Understanding Fats
• Do Cooking Oils Contain Saturated Fat?
• Is Extra-Light Olive Oil a Low-Fat or Low-Calorie Cooking Oil?