Mediterranean diet cuts risk of heart disease.

[graciegirl]

Tasty diet cuts heart disease, study finds - Vitals (http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/25/17087082-tasty-diet-cuts-heart-disease-study-finds?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=1)

This was published in the New England Journal of Medicine so I trust this study and the results.

Sure has me rethinking to improve.

[2BNTV]

This is a very healthy way to eat. I believe in eating a low fat diet as it also is good to prevent macular degeneration that runs in my family.

Alomonds are a good snack.

[Bettiboop]

Tasty diet cuts heart disease, study finds - Vitals (http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/25/17087082-tasty-diet-cuts-heart-disease-study-finds?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=1)

This was published in the New England Journal of Medicine so I trust this study and the results.

Sure has me rethinking to improve.

Thanks for the link, Gracie. I heard them talking about it on The View this morning and made myself a note to research it when I took a break from work. I think it would be fairly easy to follow. We eat fish, olive oil, nuts, etc. on a regular basis anyway, so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for us.

Now if we could just cut out the junk food snacks.....

[jimbo2012]

Want more information of the health benefits of olive oil and the Mediterranean Diet?

Check out the video below by Jeff Novick. about 8 min.

Olive Oil is NOT Health Food but Sick Food - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GfBKauKVi4M)

Ounce for ounce, olive oil is one of the most fattening, calorically dense foods on the planet. The bottom line is that oil will add fat to our already plump waistlines, heightening the risk of disease, including diabetes and heart attacks, says Dr. Joel Fuhrman.

Dr. Esselstyn agrees, stating that between 14 and 17% of olive oil is saturated, artery-clogging fat, every bit as aggressive in promoting heart disease as the saturated fat in roast beef.

“They (oils) contain saturated fat which immediately injures the endothelial lining of the arteries when eaten. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, or any other kind of oil”, he says.


..

[Villages PL]

Tasty diet cuts heart disease, study finds - Vitals (http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/25/17087082-tasty-diet-cuts-heart-disease-study-finds?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=1)

This was published in the New England Journal of Medicine so I trust this study and the results.

Sure has me rethinking to improve.

For those who are eating the standard American diet, the Mediterranean diet may represent an improvement. In that regard, I'd say it has some value. However, I do see one possible shortcoming. All the participants in the study received counseling. But what about those who now see it advertised on television or read about it? They won't get counseling and I guess I don't have a whole lot of confidence in the average person getting it right.

[Uptown Girl]

One thing to consider is that as a general rule, most people in Italy, Spain, Greece, places like that eat much smaller portions at their meals than what we are accustomed to. So much so, that many Americans would think it was a joke. In addition, traditionally their food is fresh and regional, often picked or caught within hours of eating.

There are many factors in the Mediterranean 'diet' (to use it as an example) that are not factored in when the diet is plucked from the total lifestyle, environment and indigenous genetics of the people, then analyzed as if it were the only factor to health or longevity. The holistic view is lost, in my opinion.

My family originated in Spain. Food in our home was celebrated, appreciated and respected for the gift that it was. We ate all the things (like imported Olive oil) that some feel are so scary today.
My family for the greater part was, and is, trim, athletic, brainey, talented, healthy and long lived. Most who have died, died in their sleep at 90+ years of age, healthy, sharp and alert until the end. Why?

Could it BE genetics? An attitude of gratitude? Positive thinking? Fool's luck?
Special Dispensation? Foods more pure then than they are now? Tomatoes with more inherent nutrients then, than tomatoes of today?

How are we to know beyond a shadow of a doubt? We can only try our best to collect data. Doesn't mean it's the whole picture. That's my point.

Those who want to eat right, do the best they can. Those inclined to want better health than they now have, investigate then discern for themselves the best way to make it happen. MOST of us are now college educated in this country. We know how to read and research, if we want to do so.
Are there those who don't care? You betcha.

Bashing someone over the head with what they are doing wrong, or sensationalizing, challenging or discounting others as a means to occupy one's time, tells me more about the person delivering the message than the message they are delivering.

[2BNTV]

One thing to consider is that as a general rule, most people in Italy, Spain, Greece, places like that eat much smaller portions at their meals than what we are accustomed to. So much so, that many Americans would think it was a joke. In addition, traditionally their food is fresh and regional, often picked or caught within hours of eating.

There are many factors in the Mediterranean 'diet' (to use it as an example) that are not factored in when the diet is plucked from the total lifestyle, environment and indigenous genetics of the people, then analyzed as if it were the only factor to health or longevity. The holistic view is lost, in my opinion.

My family originated in Spain. Food in our home was celebrated, appreciated and respected for the gift that it was. We ate all the things (like imported Olive oil) that some feel are so scary today.
My family for the greater part was, and is, trim, athletic, brainey, talented, healthy and long lived. Most who have died, died in their sleep at 90+ years of age, healthy, sharp and alert until the end. Why?

Could it BE genetics? An attitude of gratitude? Positive thinking? Fool's luck?
Special Dispensation? Foods more pure then than they are now? Tomatoes with more inherent nutrients then, than tomatoes of today?

How are we to know beyond a shadow of a doubt? We can only try our best to collect data. Doesn't mean it's the whole picture. That's my point.

Those who want to eat right, do the best they can. Those inclined to want better health than they now have, investigate then discern for themselves the best way to make it happen. MOST of us are now college educated in this country. We know how to read and research, if we want to do so.
Are there those who don't care? You betcha.

Bashing someone over the head with what they are doing wrong, or sensationalizing, challenging or discounting others as a means to occupy one's time, tells me more about the person delivering the message than the message they are delivering.

I agree 100%.

Remember the old saying:

"People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care".

[Villages PL]

One thing to consider is that as a general rule, most people in Italy, Spain, Greece, places like that eat much smaller portions at their meals than what we are accustomed to. So much so, that many Americans would think it was a joke. In addition, traditionally their food is fresh and regional, often picked or caught within hours of eating.

There are many factors in the Mediterranean 'diet' (to use it as an example) that are not factored in when the diet is plucked from the total lifestyle, environment and indigenous genetics of the people, then analyzed as if it were the only factor to health or longevity. The holistic view is lost, in my opinion.

My family originated in Spain. Food in our home was celebrated, appreciated and respected for the gift that it was. We ate all the things (like imported Olive oil) that some feel are so scary today.
My family for the greater part was, and is, trim, athletic, brainey, talented, healthy and long lived. Most who have died, died in their sleep at 90+ years of age, healthy, sharp and alert until the end. Why?

Could it BE genetics? An attitude of gratitude? Positive thinking? Fool's luck?
Special Dispensation? Foods more pure then than they are now? Tomatoes with more inherent nutrients then, than tomatoes of today?

How are we to know beyond a shadow of a doubt? We can only try our best to collect data. Doesn't mean it's the whole picture. That's my point.

Those who want to eat right, do the best they can. Those inclined to want better health than they now have, investigate then discern for themselves the best way to make it happen. MOST of us are now college educated in this country. We know how to read and research, if we want to do so.
Are there those who don't care? You betcha.

Bashing someone over the head with what they are doing wrong, or sensationalizing, challenging or discounting others as a means to occupy one's time, tells me more about the person delivering the message than the message they are delivering.

It may also be that many choose to occupy their time by bashing the "bashers". How is it any different?

To a large extent the problem you were trying to pinpoint is cultural. The only way that will change is to change the culture. Speak up against eating garbage and it will become less socially acceptable, the same way that smoking has become socially unacceptable.

[Uptown Girl]

[QUOTE=Villages PL;632653
To a large extent the problem you were trying to pinpoint is cultural. The only way that will change is to change the culture. [/QUOTE]


I have been trying to type a response, but all i can....


...... huh?

[jimbo2012]

This NY Times 2/25 article cites the following

" Not everyone is convinced, though. Dr. Caldwell Blakeman Esselstyn Jr., the author of the best seller “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure,” who promotes a vegan diet and does not allow olive oil, dismissed the study.

His views and those of another promoter of a very-low-fat diet, Dr. Dean Ornish, president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute, have influenced many to try to become vegan. Former President Bill Clinton, interviewed on CNN, said Dr. Esselstyn’s and Dr. Ornish’s writings helped convince him that he could reverse his heart disease in that way.

Dr. Esselstyn said those in the Mediterranean diet study still had heart attacks and strokes. So, he said, all the study showed was that “the Mediterranean diet and the horrible control diet were able to create disease in people who otherwise did not have it.”

There two Dr's are perhaps the most noteworthy on preventing heart attacks within our culture.

Full Article (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/health/mediterranean-diet-can-cut-heart-disease-study-finds.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1361841782-SHa0f+0eeIHoazVq4U1YxQ)

[Villages PL]

Tasty diet cuts heart disease, study finds - Vitals (http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/25/17087082-tasty-diet-cuts-heart-disease-study-finds?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=1)

This was published in the New England Journal of Medicine so I trust this study and the results.

Sure has me rethinking to improve.

I'm still pondering the implications. :) I don't have TV but I do listen to the news on the radio. Last night I heard a news report on the Mediterranean diet and the newscaster said, "those on the Mediterranean diet cut their risk of heart attacks and strokes by 30 percent." People listening to this report would think that it applies to the average person, but it doesn't.

They're not taking the time to mention that all 7,400 patients were at high risk of heart disease. These high risk people were purposely selected for the study. People at high risk generally have the worst dietary habits. So if you give them instructions, as they did, on what to eat and what not to eat, of course you would expect some good results.

In other words, if you start with people who couldn't possibly be doing any worse, you are likely to get a decent result. It's not so surprising.

[senior citizen]

One thing to consider is that as a general rule, most people in Italy, Spain, Greece, places like that eat much smaller portions at their meals than what we are accustomed to. So much so, that many Americans would think it was a joke. In addition, traditionally their food is fresh and regional, often picked or caught within hours of eating.

There are many factors in the Mediterranean 'diet' (to use it as an example) that are not factored in when the diet is plucked from the total lifestyle, environment and indigenous genetics of the people, then analyzed as if it were the only factor to health or longevity. The holistic view is lost, in my opinion.

My family originated in Spain. Food in our home was celebrated, appreciated and respected for the gift that it was. We ate all the things (like imported Olive oil) that some feel are so scary today.
My family for the greater part was, and is, trim, athletic, brainey, talented, healthy and long lived. Most who have died, died in their sleep at 90+ years of age, healthy, sharp and alert until the end. Why?

Could it BE genetics? An attitude of gratitude? Positive thinking? Fool's luck?
Special Dispensation? Foods more pure then than they are now? Tomatoes with more inherent nutrients then, than tomatoes of today?

How are we to know beyond a shadow of a doubt? We can only try our best to collect data. Doesn't mean it's the whole picture. That's my point.

Those who want to eat right, do the best they can. Those inclined to want better health than they now have, investigate then discern for themselves the best way to make it happen. MOST of us are now college educated in this country. We know how to read and research, if we want to do so.
Are there those who don't care? You betcha.

Bashing someone over the head with what they are doing wrong, or sensationalizing, challenging or discounting others as a means to occupy one's time, tells me more about the person delivering the message than the message they are delivering.

Spain, Italy or Greece...........in the old days, meals were shared and savored with family and friends..........they continued these traditions in their chosen new homes in America.........
Chewing on the Heel: The Mediterranean Diet in Southern Italy | Italy Travel Guide (http://www.italylogue.com/food-drink/chewing-on-the-heel-the-mediterranean-diet-in-southern-italy.html)
Chewing on the Heel.

“The limitations of the meals inspired by poverty.........”

“Olive oil is the passenger train that transports vitamins from the food to your body.......”

“The Mediterranean diet includes a daily allotment of red wine..........”

I never ever remember my dad eating chips or dip or any such snack food. After dinner, he'd slowly cut up a fresh pear....or an orange. He did eat nuts as well. His entire family ate fruit, drank wine and ate what to me, a child, were HUGE FEASTS, that took a very long time.....they were not "into fast foods at all"........but when I think back.......it was lots of vegetables, plenty of fresh seafood........can't recall any big beef roasts or pork roasts......but the meat was there in the lasagna, the meatballs, sausage, etc. in small increments...........more for "flavor"......and they never ate butter on their delicious fresh breads.

Cheese, yes. Lots of melon such as cantalupe. Figs.

Grew their own tomatoes, basil, mint, etc.........GRAPES.....

Dates. Natural foods.........not processed or prepackaged.

Basically, it's what they "did not eat" that gave them the longevity........many well into their 90's.

[senior citizen]

..................

[Cantwaittoarrive]

This NY Times 2/25 article cites the following

" Not everyone is convinced, though. Dr. Caldwell Blakeman Esselstyn Jr., the author of the best seller “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure,” who promotes a vegan diet and does not allow olive oil, dismissed the study.

His views and those of another promoter of a very-low-fat diet, Dr. Dean Ornish, president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute, have influenced many to try to become vegan. Former President Bill Clinton, interviewed on CNN, said Dr. Esselstyn’s and Dr. Ornish’s writings helped convince him that he could reverse his heart disease in that way.

Dr. Esselstyn said those in the Mediterranean diet study still had heart attacks and strokes. So, he said, all the study showed was that “the Mediterranean diet and the horrible control diet were able to create disease in people who otherwise did not have it.”

There two Dr's are perhaps the most noteworthy on preventing heart attacks within our culture.

Full Article (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/health/mediterranean-diet-can-cut-heart-disease-study-finds.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1361841782-SHa0f+0eeIHoazVq4U1YxQ)

OK so I guess the implication is that since people still had heart attacks and strokes we should ignor the results? If so I guess we should also ignore any vegan diets results since people on a vegan diet also have heart attacks and strokes. I guess all we really know is life is a fatal condition

[jimbo2012]

I guess we should also ignore any vegan diets results since people on a vegan diet also have heart attacks and strokes.


Really R U sure about that?

Can U cite any study that supports that theory?

A vegan, call it what it really is a "plant based diet", greatly diminishes the plaque build up in the blood vessels, it can in FACT reverse heart disease.

Eat what U want your longevity and leading an active retired life will vary in length and enjoyment, but that's just my opinion, along with millions of plant based diet followers.

[Cantwaittoarrive]

Really R U sure about that?

Can U cite any study that supports that theory?

A vegan, call it what it really is a "plant based diet", greatly diminishes the plaque build up in the blood vessels, it can in FACT reverse heart disease.

Eat what U want your longevity and leading an active retired life will vary in length and enjoyment, but that's just my opinion, along with millions of plant based diet followers.

I don't need a study to state vegans have heart attacks. My cousin a vegan from birth, raised by vegan parents, and always stated that he was loyal to the vegan lifestyle, even down to soap, toothpaste and eveything else he used, died at 42 from a heart attack caused by a blockage. So I'm sure you will say oh something else caused the blockage or whatever. But I don't need a study I have experienced the results my cousin had first hand. Since you implied that vegans don't have heart attacks or strokes do you have a study that says they don't??

[jimbo2012]

yes, but I'm not wasting my time explaining it to you, eat what ever you want.

[rubicon]

I lean toward uptown girl's comments (post #6). I also believe that the Greeks got it right when they said "all things in moderation". I have also cited before a harvard study that spoke of three types of people excreters, compnesators and storers, the latter people just stored fat. Then medical experts moved from focus on build up of fat to the problem being inflammation. The benefits of the Med diet have been around for several years now. In my view if a person is testing the limits by living on cheeseburgers then his/her habits may over-ride genetics. However, simply stated genetics determine longevity. If I listened to experts i would have given up cranberry sauce in the 1950's.

[jimbo2012]

"all things in moderation".

An excuse to eat anything.

[jimbo2012]

This just in today's Houston News

Although not commonly known, a study with 300 cardiac patients who changed to a Mediterranean or other “heart healthy” diet did show some improvement at first, but studies show 25 percent of patients had another major cardiac event or died four years later. This diet allows consumption of healthier oils, such as olive oil or canola oil.

See full article here (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/showthread.php?p=633942#post633942).

[Villages PL]

I don't need a study to state vegans have heart attacks. My cousin a vegan from birth, raised by vegan parents, and always stated that he was loyal to the vegan lifestyle, even down to soap, toothpaste and eveything else he used, died at 42 from a heart attack caused by a blockage. So I'm sure you will say oh something else caused the blockage or whatever. But I don't need a study I have experienced the results my cousin had first hand. Since you implied that vegans don't have heart attacks or strokes do you have a study that says they don't??

I am one who would say that it is possible for a vegan to get a heart attack. Is it likely? No, I don't think so. But if you're asking if it's possible, I would say yes. That's because there are lots of vegan foods that are less than optimal that can be overconsumed. I'm sure I cant name all of them but here's a partial list.

Candy: If one consumes too many calories from candy or other such sugary foods, it is possible to become overweight and diabetic. And diabetes makes one more susceptible to heart disease.

White flour products/ white potatoes/ white rice: Foods like these are more likely to quickly convert to sugar, causing weight gain and diabetes. And diabetes makes one more susceptible to heart disease.

Sugery soft drinks/fruit drinks etc..: Same as candy.

Sodium: High sodium vegan foods can cause high blood pressure, contribute to weight gain and heart disease.

Vegetable oils: A vegan, if he chooses, can use excessive amounts of
vegetable oils and thereby gain lots of weight. This combined with all of the above can lead to diabetes and heart trouble.

Note: When excess sugar consumption gets stored as fat in the body, it gets stored as saturated fat.

[Villages PL]

I lean toward uptown girl's comments (post #6). I also believe that the Greeks got it right when they said "all things in moderation". I have also cited before a harvard study that spoke of three types of people excreters, compnesators and storers, the latter people just stored fat. Then medical experts moved from focus on build up of fat to the problem being inflammation. The benefits of the Med diet have been around for several years now. In my view if a person is testing the limits by living on cheeseburgers then his/her habits may over-ride genetics. However, simply stated genetics determine longevity. If I listened to experts i would have given up cranberry sauce in the 1950's.

Is there a reliable study to show that genetics determines longevity? I know the food industry would like us to believe that and they fund lots of studies, but, otherwise, I don't know of any independent study that proves it.

That's not to say that genes don't play a role but they can be overcome through lifestyle changes. For example, people may have more or less cholesterol receptors from birth(genetic). But those who have less can compensate by eating less of high cholesterol foods.

[Cantwaittoarrive]

Is there a reliable study to show that genetics determines longevity? I know the food industry would like us to believe that and they fund lots of studies, but, otherwise, I don't know of any independent study that proves it.

That's not to say that genes don't play a role but they can be overcome through lifestyle changes. For example, people may have more or less cholesterol receptors from birth(genetic). But those who have less can compensate by eating less of high cholesterol foods.

I think God determines when we die. We might choose how (in some cases) but God determines when.

[rubicon]

An excuse to eat anything.

jimbo: I wrote moderation in all things and your response is cited above.

In all due respect I don't need an excuse. We pass this way only once and while I won't throw caution to the wind, I also am not going to feel guilty about what I consume. Moderation, exercise, positive feelings, etc go a long way.

[rubicon]

Is there a reliable study to show that genetics determines longevity? I know the food industry would like us to believe that and they fund lots of studies, but, otherwise, I don't know of any independent study that proves it.

That's not to say that genes don't play a role but they can be overcome through lifestyle changes. For example, people may have more or less cholesterol receptors from birth(genetic). But those who have less can compensate by eating less of high cholesterol foods.

Hi Villages PL: Have you heard the expression ä family history of.........."
I believe genetics does plays a vital role. If not then why have scientists developed genetic testing to see if a family member has the potential for a particular disease and why is this issue being hotly debated as to the discoverable nature of such results by insurance companies, et al?

As to your comments that eating less compensates then why are some people who adher to this philosophy still running into cholesterol problems?
And why is it some folks don't give a hoot and maintain low low density and high high density levels without the need for medication? I believe this entire issue is more complicated and i believe that much of what is said in this thread is one helpful piece to this whole puzzle. However experts continue to back away from previous recommendations. and so for me the personal choice is moderation, exercise and maintain a happy attitude but I am not going to feel guilty about my food choices .

[Villages PL]

Hi Villages PL: Have you heard the expression ä family history of.........."
I believe genetics does plays a vital role. If not then why have scientists developed genetic testing to see if a family member has the potential for a particular disease and why is this issue being hotly debated as to the discoverable nature of such results by insurance companies, et al?

As to your comments that eating less compensates then why are some people who adher to this philosophy still running into cholesterol problems?
And why is it some folks don't give a hoot and maintain low low density and high high density levels without the need for medication? I believe this entire issue is more complicated and i believe that much of what is said in this thread is one helpful piece to this whole puzzle. However experts continue to back away from previous recommendations. and so for me the personal choice is moderation, exercise and maintain a happy attitude but I am not going to feel guilty about my food choices .

In rare cases, the liver can produce too much cholesterol. But I believe that's rare. In some cases, stress can cause high cholesterol inspite of a "moderate" diet.

In my case, I never had high cholesterol, but when I switched to a vegan diet my cholesterol level got much lower.

As you said, they may do genetic testing to see if a person has a potential for a certain disease. But, in most cases, genetic testing can never tell for sure whether the person will actually get the disease or not. That's because environment and/or lifestyle acts as the trigger that turns genes on or off.

Of course if a person lives a poor lifestyle, then genes do play a vital role as the genes for diseases will be more likely turned on. For example, most people have the potential to get lung cancer but smokers are at greater risk. If a person smokes and drinks, gets little exercise and eats a poor diet, then various genes for disease will be more likely turned on.

[Villages PL]

I think God determines when we die. We might choose how (in some cases) but God determines when.

Now you're talking about something that is based on faith and this is not the religion board, this is the Health and Medical discussion board.