Study: Traditional Mediterranean Diet May Cut Risk for Diabetes in Older People

A traditional Mediterranean diet, heavy in olive oil and vegetables, may help older people lower their risk for adult onset Diabetes - that too without being worried about calories and weight, revealed a study by Spanish researchers led by Jordi Salas-Salvado of the University of Rovira i Virgili in Reus, Spain. A traditional Mediterranean diet, which comprises lot of vegetables, fibre-rich grains, legumes, fish and plant-based sources of unsaturated fat  (particularly olive oil and nuts), is basically low in red meat and high-fat dairy.

Study

More than 400 adults found that those following the traditional diet were less likely to develop Diabetes over four years than those instructed to follow a low-fat diet, according to findings published in the journal "Diabetes Care." 418 adults between the ages of 55 and 80 were followed; each of the subjects had at least three risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure or smoking. They were randomly assigned to one of three diets - a Mediterranean diet with emphasis on more consumption of olive oil, the same diet with a focus on getting unsaturated fats from nuts, and a diet cutting all types of fat. The groups were not asked to limit calories or get more exercise.

Results

After four years, 10 to 11 % of those in the two Mediterranean groups had developed Diabetes, compared to 18% of those in the low-fat diet group. When researchers accounted for a number of other factors, such as the participants' weight, smoking history and reported exercise levels, the Mediterranean diet itself was linked to 52% reduction in Diabetes risk compared to the low-fat diet.

According to Constance Brown- Riggs, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, the results did not indicate that exercise is not needed. She said, “Sometimes individuals can get hung up on one item, like olive oil. But what we're talking about here is an overall eating pattern, and an overall lifestyle."