Researchers Found That Fats Found In The Mediterranean Diet Are Actually Good For You

A couple of weeks ago, researchers published a study stating that pasta may help you retain a lower BMI when had as a part of a Mediterranean diet.

Now, further research has been released that shows that the fats in a Mediterranean diet can go a long way in reducing the risk of a variety of ailments.

Reviewing Research

The study compared the health of participants who followed three different types of diets; a Mediterranean diet which includes a litre of extra virgin olive oil a week, a Mediterranean diet with 30 grams of nuts per day and a low fat diet. Contrary to what the world has believed (about the power of low fat diets), the analysis showed that participants who followed the Mediterranean diet had 29% reduction in cardiovascular problems as compared to the group on the low fat diet. Those who followed the Mediterranean diet were less  likely to develop diabetes by 30% and breast cancer by 57%.

Good Vs Bad Fats

The researchers suggest that for optimal health, one should cut out all ‘bad’ fats like red meat, cheese, sausage, fried fruits and sweet desserts. Instead, they should fill their diet with foods that contain monosaturated fats like olive and canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.

“The best advice is not to avoid fats completely but to pay attention to the kind of fats, overall calorie intake and the quality of food consumed,” Samantha Heller, a registered dietician and exercise physiologist affiliated with New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City told Reuters.

“Eating a diet rich in healthy unsaturated plant fats helps boost immunity and reduce systemic inflammation,” Heller added.

Dr Bloomfield, the lead researcher of the study said “‘What we found in our study is that healthy diets can include a lot of fat, especially if it’s healthy fat. ” She added “The emphasis in the United States at least for the past 30 years has been it’s important to reduce fat, fat of all kind, fat’s the bad thing.

She added “it turns out that the obesity epidemic in this country is probably more due to our increased consumption of refined grains and added sugar and not so much from our fat consumption.”

The Mediterranean Diet

According to Dr Bloomfield, the Mediterranean diet has a high monostaruated-to saturated fat ration, lots of fruits and vegetables, lots of legumes, a high grain and cereal intake, a moderate dairy intake and a low consumption of meat but a high consumption of fish.