Sometimes I read a study and shake my head, thinking, “Why is this even being researched? We knew this 10 years ago.” But then I calm down and think, “Maybe this is good.” Because it gives me a reason to remind you of important information—and reaffirm the recommendations I’ve been making to you from the get-go.
For instance, a new study concluded that a Mediterranean diet may reverse metabolic syndrome.[1]
In case you need a refresher, metabolic syndrome is a condition characterized by abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, high blood pressure, high fasting blood glucose, and low HDL cholesterol.
And it’s not exactly a rare condition: about 34 percent of the adults in the US have metabolic syndrome. That’s right—a third of people in this country are walking around right now like ticking time bombs. Because, at any moment, metabolic syndrome can explode into any number of chronic diseases. (Most notably, diabetes.)
But what I find most encouraging and most maddening about metabolic syndrome all at the same time is that it’s entirely preventable—and easily curable.
Because, by far, the most common cause of this potentially deadly disease is obesity—from poor diet and lack of physical activity.
Get moving on a regular basis, and get serious about the foods you’re putting into your body, and you never have to worry that this ticking time bomb will blow up in your face, destroying your health and your future.
And, as this new research shows, a Mediterranean style of eating is the best way to do that.
Simple changes, powerful results
The researchers analyzed men and women ages 55 to 80 who were part of the PREDIMED trial, which I’ve mentioned before. It was designed to measure the effects of the Mediterranean diet on heart disease prevention.
Everyone in the study was considered “high risk” for cardiovascular disease, and 64 percent of these participants had metabolic syndrome. Each participant followed one of three diets: a standard low-fat diet, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, and a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil.
And surprise, surprise…
After roughly 5-years, the participants who followed both of the latter two diets saw a reduction in both blood glucose levels and abdominal obesity.
And how about this: By the end of the study, 28.2 percent of the participants who followed the Mediterranean diets did not meet the criteria for having metabolic syndrome. In other words, they reversed their condition—simply by changing the way they ate.
30 percent lower heart disease risk and less inflammation in as little as 6 weeks
Other studies have shown similarly impressive results.
In one study from 2013, researchers in Spain randomly assigned 7,447 high-risk older subjects to one of three diets.[2] The first group followed a Mediterranean diet, supplemented with extra virgin olive oil. The second group followed a Mediterranean diet, but ate additional servings of nuts. The third group followed a control diet, which was—you guessed it—low-fat.
None of the subjects had heart disease at the start of the study. And after five years of follow-up, the participants following a Mediterranean diet were most likely to stay that way.
In fact, they enjoyed a 30-percent lower risk of death, heart attack or stroke than their low-fat peers.
And you might remember this other study, conducted in 2012: Researchers in New Zealand instructed 30 people to follow a Mediterranean eating plan for six weeks. They also took blood and urine samples, in order to look for inflammation-related markers, like C-reactive protein (CRP).[3]
Meanwhile, participants completed diaries and questionnaires pertaining to their diets and lifestyle.
Positive dietary changes were linked to significant declines in inflammatory biomarkers in the volunteers’ blood. Which suggests that abandoning junk food for a Mediterranean-style eating plan can make a dramatic difference in your health within a matter of weeks.
Bear in mind that these were average young people with no known health conditions. And even THEY experienced improvements. So just imagine the results you’d see in people with a chronic inflammatory condition. (As in 175 million of your fellow Americans.)
Inflammation is a driving force behind a long list of chronic diseases. Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, Crohn’s disease, diabetes… and those are just the ones I can list off the top of my head right now.
But studies have repeatedly shown that you can cut levels of inflammation just by making a few key changes to your diet. Namely, by eating more omega-3s, veggies, fruits, nuts, and lean proteins—and cutting out refined grains, trans fats, and sugar. More popularly known as, you guessed it, a Mediterranean diet.
But guess what other diet fits that description? That’s right—my New Hamptons Health Miracle.
Taking the Mediterranean diet from good to great—by way of the Hamptons
My New Hamptons Health Miracle is based on the Mediterranean approach, but with a few defining features, like taking a good, quality fish oil supplement every day (in addition to eating plenty of fish). I’ll keep repeating this until I’m certain no one else needs to hear it: Take 1,500 mg of fish oil (combined EPA and DHA) twice a day.
I also recommend swapping out overrated olive oil for monounsaturated fat-rich macadamia nut oil instead. Why? It’s got the highest level of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) of any other oil you can buy. (I’ve included an article in this month’s newsletter about how essential these “good fats” are; if you haven’t read it already, do not pass go, do not collect $200… just read it now.) It’s low in inflammatory omega-6s. And it’s packed with nutrients like potassium, magnesium, calcium, selenium, vitamin E, niacin, and folic acid.
Most importantly, it’s delicious. It’s the only oil I cook with.
I recently wrote a whole Reality Health Check (titled “It’s time to rethink your kitchen routine”) on how most olive oil isn’t as pure as you’ve been led to believe, so I encourage you to check that out on my website (simply type the title into the Search box in the upper right corner of the home page). In the meantime, suffice it to say that while they’re riding the wave of good headlines, many manufacturers are producing a less-than-healthy product.
So, unless you’re allergic to tree nuts, I want you to make macadamia nut oil a major part of your life. It’ll take a standard Mediterranean diet from good to great.
Sources:
[1] “Mediterranean diets and metabolic syndrome status in the PREDIMED randomized trial.” CMAJ 2014;186(17):E649-57
[2] “Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet,” NEJM 2013; 368:1279-1290
[3] “Diet change works swiftly in reducing risk,” University of Auckland (New Zealand), 12/21/12