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We have long known that the benefits of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) go far beyond its protection against cardiovascular disease. In fact, in today’s newsletter, several articles point out the important benefits the MedDiet has on our brain, from its development in the womb to the prevention of diseases such as Alzheimer’s in old age. In the European Prevention of Alzheimer’s Dementia Longitudinal Cohort Study, after analyzing biomarkers for this disease in more than 1,600 people, researchers found that greater adherence to the MedDiet was associated with lower white matter lesion volume, although only in Mediterranean countries. The authors hypothesize that this difference could be due to lifelong compared to later-life adoption of this dietary pattern. To measure adherence, researchers used the MEDAS, a 14-item score that includes 2 items referring to olive oil consumption. This is undoubtedly an important line of research in the prevention of this disease for which there is currently no effective treatment.
But today we are not just going to talk about the Mediterranean diet. In a review led by researchers from the University of Sydney the authors summarize the benefits that vegetarian and vegan diets can have in diabetes and weight control. However, they emphasize that those benefits exist in participants with a healthy vegetarian diet, since unhealthy ones can be rich in processed foods and poor in nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc, or calcium. So what would the healthy plant foods be? Fresh vegetables, legumes, minimally processed whole grains, fruits, nuts, tea, coffee… And of course, the condiment that cannot be missing in any healthy diet: olive oil!
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