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Mediterranean diet linked with lower risk of heart disease among young U.S. workers

Among a large group of Midwestern firefighters, greater adherence to Mediterranean-style diet was associated with lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a new study led by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA). The study is the first to assess the effects of Mediterranean-style diet among a group of young, working U.S. adults.
 




The study will appear online in PLOS ONE on February 4, 2014.

"Our study adds more evidence showing the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet, even after adjusting for exercise and body weight," said Stefanos Kales, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health at HSPH and chief of occupational and environmental medicine at CHA.
U.S. firefighters are known to have a high prevalence of obesity and risk factors for CVD. A Mediterranean diet, rich in fish, nuts, vegetables, and fruits, has been shown in previous studies to lower risk of CVD. However, those studies have primarily been conducted among older people, those with existing health conditions, and among Mediterranean populations.
The researchers analyzed medical and lifestyle data, including dietary habits, from an existing cohort of 780 male firefighters in the Midwest. They developed a modified Mediterranean diet score (mMDS) to assess the participants' dietary patterns.

The firefighter group with greatest adherence to Mediterranean-style diet showed a 35% decreased risk in metabolic syndrome, a condition with risk factors that include a large waistline, high triglyceride level, low HDL ("good") cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. The group with the highest mMDS also had a 43% lower risk of weight gain compared with the lowest mMDS group. Additionally, greater adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet was significantly associated with higher HDL cholesterol and lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Consistent with previous investigations, obese participants in the firefighter study reported a higher intake of both fast foods and sugary drinks.

The study shows that promoting Mediterranean-style diets could have significant health benefits for young, working populations. "The logical next steps from our investigation are studies using the workplace to specifically promote Mediterranean dietary habits among firefighters and other U.S. workers," said Justin Yang, lead author of the study and a post-doctoral fellow at HSPH.

Source: sciencedaily.com

11 comments:

  1. The mediterranean diet does get a lot of praise, which is no surprise as it involves little meat and a lot of healthy foods, especially nuts which are rich in various vitamins and iron and all sorts!

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  2. I sure could of used reading this thirteen years ago when I had my heart attack. It is very important to follow a healthy diet.

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  3. I've heard this before and it really makes sense: this diet includes several healthy foods.

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  4. The Mediterranean diet is such a great diet,
    as it includes a lot of healthy foods, which is full of vitamins and minerals.

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  5. The best and probably most healthy part of the Mediterranean diet is the excellent olive oil.

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  6. Fish, nuts, vegetables and fruit are already staple foods here and it shows in the health of my husband and brother. they are buff for their ages.

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  7. A 35% reduction in indicators for heart disease is nothing to sneeze at!

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  8. Looks like this is the only way to eat and keep your health.

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  9. I wouldn't mind trying some Mediterranean foods.

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  10. This sounds like a diet that I could use and actually stick to!!

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  11. I have some friends that are on the Mediterranean Diet and they have lost weight and seem to be doing well on it.

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