The Mediterranean Diet is known for being especially beneficial to health. It’s high in nutrients that improve wellness. It is low in calories which promotes weight loss.
But now experts are recommending a modified Mediterranean diet called the “Green Mediterranean/high polyphenols diet” which is found to be twice as beneficial as the original. Researchers claim it is especially good for heart health as it unstiffens the aorta, a large artery that carries oxygenated blood throughout eh body.
The new diet is particularly rich in polyphenols which are found in a variety of plant-based foods. They exhibit antioxidant activity and offer protection against diabetes, heart disease, neurodegenerative disease, and certain types of cancer.
What is the New Mediterranean Diet?
The new Mediterranean diet varies from the traditional Mediterranean diet because it features more polyphenols and lower quantities of red and processed meat. It includes a daily intake of 28 grams of walnuts, three or four cups of green tea, and one cup of Wolffia-globosa (mankai) green duckweed shake which is rich in iron, B12, polyphenols, and protein.
Researchers found that the green Mediterranean diet decreased aortic stiffness by 15% as compared to the Mediterranean diet’s 7.3%. The healthy dietary guideline-directed diet yields a 4.8% decrease.
The DIRECT PLUS study which compared the diets was the first to show the green diet’s effects on aortic stiffness. It was a large-scale study conducted over 18 months with over 300 participants. MRIs were used to measure aortic stiffness which is a distinct marker of vascular aging and heart disease.
How Important is a Healthy Diet?
A healthier lifestyle is often recommended for treating obesity and metabolic complications. Intense exercise has been shown to reduce Proximal Aortic Stiffness (PAS) but the effects of weight loss are unclear. The Mediterranean diet is the most trusted dietary intervention for heart disease prevention.
In addition to aiding heart health, the Green Mediterranean diet may also be beneficial to brain health and liver health according to findings of earlier studies.
Polyphenols are reducing agents that work with other reducing agents like vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids to protect the body against oxidative stress which is associated with cancer, heart disease, and inflammation.
While they are generally good for health, animal studies have shown that polyphenols can cause thyroid imbalance, kidney damage, and tumors, and raise the risk of stroke and premature death if taken at very high doses.
The research was led by Prof. Iris Shai of Ben-Gurion University and Beersheba Israel who is also an adjunct professor at the University of Leipzig, Germany. She was accompanied by doctoral student Gal Tsaban, a cardiologist from Soroka-University Medical Center, and colleagues from Harvard and Leipzig Universities.
“The results of our study highlight once again that not all diets provide similar benefits and that the green-Mediterranean diet may promote vascular health,” Tsaban concluded.
