Study Finds Olive Oil Better than Medication for Heart Disease

According to preliminary results of a Spanish study part of PREDIMED, a long-term nutritional intervention study aimed to assess the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, virgin olive oil is more effective in reducing heart disease than drugs.

Researchers are reporting that a Mediterranean diet enriched with virgin olive oil or nuts can reverse arteriosclerosis in carotid arteries in just one year.

The study included 187 participants over the age of 55 who were randomly assigned to 3 groups; the olive oil group followed the Mediterranean diet supplemented with 15 liters of virgin olive oil per three months which corresponded to about 10 tablespoons a day, the nut group also followed the Mediterranean diet with 30 grams (about 1 ounce) a day of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts, and the low fat diet group which were given instructions and material to follow a low-fat diet.

All the volunteers had the thickness of the artery walls of their carotid arteries measured, both at the beginning of the study and at the end of a year. “We thus observed who had suffered the greatest thickening of this layer, due to arteriosclerosis, a significant improvement and regression of lesions having taken place in those cases that had followed a Mediterranean diet enriched with virgin olive oil or nuts. This improvement was not observed amongst those who did not have thickening of the artery wall at the start of the study,” according to Dr. Ana Sánchez-Tainta, one of the researchers.

From the results it was concluded that “a modification in the entire diet pattern managed to achieve, in just one year, results that pharmaceutical drugs did not – even after two years of treatment.”

Lower Risk of Alzheimer's Disease with The Mediterranean Diet

Q. We have heard that people who drink fruit and vegetable juice have a significantly lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. Are veggie juices as good as fruit juices? What about wine?
A. Several studies suggest that food could play a role in the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. A Mediterranean diet has been associated with less cognitive impairment and dementia (Current Alzheimer's Research, August 2011). In particular, a diet high in nonstarchy vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries seems to be somewhat protective (Journal of Nutrition, Sept. 1, 2009).
Tomatoes are rich in antioxidant compounds, and so are berries, tea, cocoa, pomegranates and wine. New research suggests that moderate social drinking, particularly wine, also may reduce the likelihood of developing cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease (Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment online, Aug. 11, 2011).

Q. Back in 2005, I had a horrible persistent cough. After a CT scan, I was told it looked like lymphoma and referred to a specialist to evaluate the swollen lymph nodes and multiple nodules in my lungs.
The specialist did a biopsy and diagnosed sarcoidosis. We knew nothing about this disease and immediately began online research. The doctor wanted to start me on corticosteroids, but I am already overweight and have mild high blood pressure, and feared the steroids would make that worse.
My wife, Pam, came across some reports of sarcoidosis being treated effectively with low doses of antibiotics. At my next visit, she gave the doctor printouts of her research. He looked it over and described it as "quackery."
Pam is quite persuasive, however. She convinced the doctor just to try the treatment. He prescribed minocycline, a drug commonly used for acne.
Within six weeks, my cough was gone. X-rays showed no lymph-node swelling and no nodules. The doctor is now using the treatment on other patients with sarcoidosis.
A. Sarcoidosis is a systemic autoimmune disease in which small clumps of inflammatory cells lodge in various tissues. The lungs and the lymph nodes are most frequently affected, but these granuloma clumps can appear anywhere. Successful treatment of some sarcoidosis patients with doxycycline or minocycline has been attributed to the immune modulating effects of these drugs (Clinical Rheumatology, September 2008

Mediterranean diet linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus

A new study by Imperial College London researchers suggests that following a Mediterranean diet may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The study published in the July 25, 2011 issue of Diabetes Care found high adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with 12 percent reduced risk of diabetes Mellitus, compared with those who least adhered to the Diet.The association was based on data from a study population of 340,000 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study. Of the participants, 11,994 incidence type 2 diabetes mellitus were identified.

The study also found medium adherence to the Mediterranean diet was correlated with a 7 percent reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus compared with the low adherence.

However, the association was not significant among those aged younger than 50 years of age and obese participants.Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a condition in which a person can produce insulin but can't efficiently use it to deal with blood sugar.  The condition can lead to severe complications if not adequately controlled.  An estimated 20 million Americans live with type 2 diabetes mellitus.   There is no cure for the disease, but it can be controlled using diabetes drugs.

Mediterranean Diet May Prevent Metabolic Syndrome

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet may prevent metabolic syndrome, according to a new study.

The Mediterranean diet is based on the healthy eating habits and lifestyle of the southern Italian and Greek populations in the early 1960s. The diet is rich in fiber and nutrients, emphasizing fruits, vegetables, olive oil, fish, nuts and limited red meat.

In a new study, researchers conducted a comprehensive literature search for studies assessing the Mediterranean diet and its potential effects on metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is defined by a group of simultaneous conditions, including high blood pressure, high insulin levels, excess fat around the waist and high cholesterol. Fifty studies evaluating a total of 534,906 individuals were identified for inclusion.

The researchers found that adherence to a Mediterranean diet reduced the risk for metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, clinical studies indentified a reduced risk for the individual conditions involved in metabolic syndrome, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The authors concluded that adherence to a Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and its associated individual conditions. Additional research is necessary to further evaluate these findings.

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Mediterranean Diet can help People live longer

Here is a little secret on how one can live a longer and healthy life,The Mediterranean Diet can increase a woman's lifespan by as much as 15 years and increase a man's life by 8 years,according to a new study.
Researchers at Maastricht University tracked 120,000 men and women between the ages of 55 and 69. Each person was given a score in 1986 based upon his/her adherence to four key factors that have been shown to affect mortality: smoking, physical activity, body weight, and dietary habits.

What happened? Men who avoided smoking, exercised at least 30 minutes a day, avoided obesity, and stuck to the heart-healthy Mediterranean Diet lived about 8.5 years longer, on average, than men who didn't do any of those things, according to a written statement released by the university. 

Healthy living had an even bigger effect on women's lifespans. On average, those who met all four criteria lived 15 years longer than women who met none.

Fifteen years? Eight-and-a-half years? Those are huge numbers, especially given that life expectancy in the U.S. - where healthy living isn't exactly the norm - now stands at 77.9 years.

“I was surprised that the effect was so big. I was also surprised at the big difference between men and women”, said lead researcher Piet van den Brandt. He also went on to say  he wasn't sure why healthy living women would live so much longer than their male counterparts. One possibility, he said, was that hormonal differences explained the difference. 
so there you go people,start following The Mediterranean Diet if you want a long healthy lifestyle with your family. 

The Mediterranean Diet Nutrients Benefits The Heart

ST. CHARLES, Mo.–Olive extract, lycopene, chitin-glucan and green tea are promising nutrients present in the Mediterranean Diet that have been shown in clinical trials to reduce oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL), a pro-atherogenic mediator and biomarker for cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a recent article written by Joseph L. Evans, Ph.D., manager, pharmacology for Stratum Nutrition and Novus Research fellow (Agro Food Industry.2011 March/April;40-2). Supplements that contain these natural ingredients may therefore help reduce the growing incidence of CVD.

"There are several historically-used measurements for identifying individuals at risk for developing cardiovascular disease, including levels of LDL- and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol and high blood pressure to name a few," Evans noted. "However, there are other biomarkers, including OxLDL and the OxLDL / HDL cholesterol ratio that have been shown in clinical research to be more sensitive indicators for discriminating between individuals with and without coronary artery disease (CAD) when compared to the commonly measured biomarkers. And consuming a Mediterranean diet is an effective way to reduce levels of OxLDL and improve overall cardiovascular health."

The Mediterranean Diet is rich in foods with strong antioxidant properties, such as fruits, vegetables, olive oil and nuts. Research has indicated that the nutrients contained in these foods increase the expression of those genes involved in our body's antioxidant defense system, and suppress those genes involved in advancing inflammation and atherogenesis. While the precise mechanism(s) responsible for nutrient-mediated reduction in OxLDL is unknown, it likely involves the increased expression of circulating and intracellular antioxidant enzymes, along with the inhibition of enzymes that contribute to increased production of reactive oxygen species.
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Expatriate Health Insurance news: Diet 'can help to prevent dementia'

Expatriate health insurance customers may wish to eat a healthy Mediterranean diet, after an expert claimed this can reduce the chances of a person developing dementia.

As foods from this region contain a high number of antioxidants, it is believed they can assist people in maintaining their cognitive abilities in later life, noted Hannah Clack, media manager at the Alzheimer's Society.

Researchers hope to utilise antioxidants to fight the progression of Alzheimer's, with the University of Dundee using sulforaphane, a chemical located in rocket and broccoli, to examine how the body's defences can be stimulated.

Obesity, however, can result in the risk of developing this illness doubling, whereas diet can result in the chances of it happening declining by a third, Ms Clack stated.

This must be combined with a lifestyle that includes abstinence from smoking, regular exercise and occasional monitoring of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, she continued.

All of these are "things that can really help make sure that you are doing everything you can to hopefully avoid dementia", the expert concluded.
Expatriate Healthcare specialise in providing international health insurance.