Re: Strict Mediterranean diet offers big health boost

[Guest guest]

Low in alcohol?

It’s been my impression that red wine in moderation (a couple of glasses a day) is a part of the mediterranean diet.

From: Dave <davemaddux@...>

Reply-< >

Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:42:39 -0000

< >

Subject: [ ] Strict Mediterranean diet offers big health boost

Sticking to a Mediterranean diet high in fruits and vegetables, fish,

and healthy oils protects against cancer, heart disease and other

ailments. Researchers looked at more than 1.5 million people and found

substantial drops in cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and

heart disease deaths among those who followed the diet closely.

link:

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSLB73099820080911

text:

Strict Mediterranean diet offers big health boost

Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:40pm EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Sticking strictly to a Mediterranean diet rich in

fruits and vegetables offers substantial protection against cancer,

heart disease and other major chronic illnesses, Italian researchers

said on Friday.

People who did this had a 9 percent drop in death from heart disease,

a 13 percent reduction in incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

disease and a 6 percent reduction in cancer compared to those who were

not as diligent, their study found.

" These results seem to be clinically relevant for public health,

particularly for encouraging a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern for

primary prevention of major chronic diseases, " wrote Francesco Sofi, a

clinical nutrition researcher, and colleagues at the University of

Florence.

The traditional Mediterranean diet is full of vegetables, fish and

healthy fats such as olive oil, and low in red meat, dairy products

and alcohol.

Sofi and his team reviewed 12 international studies which included

more than 1.5 million people whose eating habits and health were

tracked for follow-up periods of three to 18 years.

The researchers also developed an " adherence " score to rate how well

people followed the Mediterranean diet, a tool they said doctors could

use to help improve people's health and encourage them to eat better.

" The adherence score...could be an effective preventative tool for

reducing the risk of mortality and morbidity in the general

population, " they wrote.

(Reporting by Kahn, Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

[Guest guest]

The Amount of alcohol consumed in the MED countries varies tremendously

and in most countries has gone down signficiantly since the 60s

Regards

Jeff

Changes in food supply in Mediterranean countries from 1961

to 2001 Public Health Nutrition: 9(1), 53–60

Wine and other alcoholic beverages

During the 1960s, wine supply was almost null in all African

and Asiatic Mediterranean countries, intermediate in

Greece and in Spain (92–162 g person/day in 1961),

and very high in Italy and France (296–327 g person/day

in 1961). Since then, it has decreased in all European

Mediterranean countries, particularly in Italy and France,

which presented in 2001 figures about half those found in

1961 (Fig. 5). In contrast, the supply of alcoholic beverages

other than wine (data not shown) increased three- to

six-fold in European Mediterranean countries, except

France, with values ranging from 78 g person/day

(Italy) to 195 g person/day (Spain) in 2001. France

presented the highest supply during the 1960s and

experienced a 28% decrease from then until 2001.

Francesca Skelton wrote:

>

> Low in alcohol?

>

> It’s been my impression that red wine in moderation (a couple of

> glasses a day) is a part of the mediterranean diet.

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> *From: *Dave <davemaddux@...>

> *Reply-*< >

> *Date: *Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:42:39 -0000

> **< >

> *Subject: *[ ] Strict Mediterranean diet offers big

> health boost

>

>

>

>

> Sticking to a Mediterranean diet high in fruits and vegetables, fish,

> and healthy oils protects against cancer, heart disease and other

> ailments. Researchers looked at more than 1.5 million people and found

> substantial drops in cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and

> heart disease deaths among those who followed the diet closely.

>

> link:

>

> http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSLB73099820080911

> <http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSLB73099820080911>

>

> text:

>

> Strict Mediterranean diet offers big health boost

> Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:40pm EDT

>

> LONDON (Reuters) - Sticking strictly to a Mediterranean diet rich in

> fruits and vegetables offers substantial protection against cancer,

> heart disease and other major chronic illnesses, Italian researchers

> said on Friday.

>

> People who did this had a 9 percent drop in death from heart disease,

> a 13 percent reduction in incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

> disease and a 6 percent reduction in cancer compared to those who were

> not as diligent, their study found.

>

> " These results seem to be clinically relevant for public health,

> particularly for encouraging a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern for

> primary prevention of major chronic diseases, " wrote Francesco Sofi, a

> clinical nutrition researcher, and colleagues at the University of

> Florence.

>

> The traditional Mediterranean diet is full of vegetables, fish and

> healthy fats such as olive oil, and low in red meat, dairy products

> and alcohol.

>

> Sofi and his team reviewed 12 international studies which included

> more than 1.5 million people whose eating habits and health were

> tracked for follow-up periods of three to 18 years.

>

> The researchers also developed an " adherence " score to rate how well

> people followed the Mediterranean diet, a tool they said doctors could

> use to help improve people's health and encourage them to eat better.

>

> " The adherence score...could be an effective preventative tool for

> reducing the risk of mortality and morbidity in the general

> population, " they wrote.

>

> (Reporting by Kahn, Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Dave:

Thanks for posting this.

"People who did this had a 9 percent drop in death from heart disease, a 13 percent reduction in incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease and a 6 percent reduction in cancer compared to those who were not as diligent, their study found."

We can all agree that, in very broad terms, a diet dominated by vegetables is much healthier than other diets. But the magnitude of the benefits found in this study are remarkably small.

To put these numbers in perspective, a 9% drop in heart disease is a drop in the bucket compared with the benefits of CRON - presuming that the CVD risk factors of people on CRON are indicative of the risk for the disease. And since Alzheimers risk factors are very nearly the same as those for CVD, the same likely applies there also.

The 6% Med-diet reduction in cancer pales beside the 70% reduction found in mice on CRON.

So, one might describe this paper as a study of just one small - and apparently, based on the results found, not especially important - facet of a CRON diet.

Just my take (!)

Vive la CR!

Rodney.

>> Sticking to a Mediterranean diet high in fruits and vegetables, fish,> and healthy oils protects against cancer, heart disease and other> ailments. Researchers looked at more than 1.5 million people and found> substantial drops in cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and> heart disease deaths among those who followed the diet closely.> > > link:> > http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSLB73099820080911> > > text:> > Strict Mediterranean diet offers big health boost> Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:40pm EDT> > LONDON (Reuters) - Sticking strictly to a Mediterranean diet rich in> fruits and vegetables offers substantial protection against cancer,> heart disease and other major chronic illnesses, Italian researchers> said on Friday.> > People who did this had a 9 percent drop in death from heart disease,> a 13 percent reduction in incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's> disease and a 6 percent reduction in cancer compared to those who were> not as diligent, their study found.> > "These results seem to be clinically relevant for public health,> particularly for encouraging a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern for> primary prevention of major chronic diseases," wrote Francesco Sofi, a> clinical nutrition researcher, and colleagues at the University of> Florence.> > The traditional Mediterranean diet is full of vegetables, fish and> healthy fats such as olive oil, and low in red meat, dairy products> and alcohol.> > Sofi and his team reviewed 12 international studies which included> more than 1.5 million people whose eating habits and health were> tracked for follow-up periods of three to 18 years.> > The researchers also developed an "adherence" score to rate how well> people followed the Mediterranean diet, a tool they said doctors could> use to help improve people's health and encourage them to eat better.> > "The adherence score...could be an effective preventative tool for> reducing the risk of mortality and morbidity in the general> population," they wrote.> > (Reporting by Kahn, Editing by Mark Trevelyan)>