Re: Re: macro nutrients, sat fats mediterranean diet

[Guest guest]

Here's the study of Spata. Tell me what you think their olive oil consumption was.

http://www.unu.edu/unupress/food/8F132e/8F132E08.htm

"More than 75% of the subjects believed that meat should not be eaten more than once a week because it is bad for health, that fish should be eaten twice a week because it is good for the heart, and that legumes are essential for longevity and should be eaten at least twice a week. They believed that fruit should be eaten in moderation and is not essential to health - that oranges raise blood pressure and should be avoided by the elderly, but that grapes, when eaten exclusively in large quantities, can cure all illnesses. "

some interesting stuff:

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/press06252003.html

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/67/80070.htm?z=1671_00000_0000_ep_03

"Not surprisingly, the researchers found that Greeks who follow the Mediterranean diet more closely have significantly lower death and disease rates than those who don't. But they also report in this week's issue of The New England Journal of Medicine that olive oil itself produced no significant reduction in overall death rates. "

When the researchers looked at the individual components of the Mediterranean diet, they found no significant decrease in death with any one type of food.

In addition to having olive oil with most meals, the typical Mediterranean diet is very high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and cereals; moderate in fish intake; and has lower amounts of meat and dairy than the typical American diet. Drinking alcohol is also a frequently practiced dining ritual.

"God knows what sorts of interactions take place within the foods, and we need further research to pinpoint them exactly," Trichopoulos tells WebMD.

"But typically, people in Greece eat twice as many vegetables as Americans -- nearly a pound a day. And you really can't eat a pound of vegetables a day unless you have olive oil to make them appetizing. My advice is to try to double the amount of vegetables and fruits you currently have, and eat more fish, legumes, and non-refined cereals."

While olive oil itself showed little benefit, the researchers note a significant reduction in death rates from a higher overall ratio of monounsaturated fats to saturated fats. Olive oil is among the best sources of monounsaturated fats -- and happens to be the main cooking oil in most Mediterranean countries -- but other oils frequently consumed by Greeks and others surrounding the Mediterranean Sea also contain these healthy fats.

Calories Versus Healthy Oils

Trichopoulos' finding may also help explain why Asians, who typically use these other cooking oils, also have lower disease and death rates. Although they rarely use olive oil, they traditionally follow other principles of the Mediterranean diet -- lots of produce, legumes, nuts, and minimally processed grains, with little saturated fat.

"The message remains the same, and is consistent with other findings: A diet lower in saturated fats and higher in monounsaturated fats, and potentially, polyunsaturates, will result in better health outcomes," says Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, of Tufts University and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.

"If the main message that Americans get is to just increase their olive or canola oil consumption, that's unfortunate because they will increase their caloric intake and they are already getting too many calories. What they need to do is eat more fruits, vegetables, and legumes and fewer foods rich in saturated fats."

----- Original Message -----

From: Rodney

Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 10:56 AM

Subject: [ ] Re: macro nutrients, sat fats

Hi JW:It is their own local oil. It is not expensive in Crete. The number I was told via email from one of the Crete study investigators was an average of 375 ml per person per day. The original article that prompted my enquiries about what was going on in Crete, and supplied the contact info there, was in Wine Spectator magazine, probably four or five years ago.Rodney.> Thanks for that ref crediting Ancel Keys. The same guy that did "Human Starvation" > Also, the DASH diet is centered around the medit diet, FWIW.> Nothing hard. As I recall none use humungus quantities except those seen in tv ads. Think about it olive oil is not cheap and most of those people are lower income.> > Regards.