Mediterranean diet comes out on top in new comparison of popular ‘heart-healthy’ diets
![doctor fruits vegetables vegetarian diet. Embracing a plant-based diet can improve a person’s cardiovascular health, according to a new commentary published in the American Journal of Cardiology.[1] The article, titled “Are We What We Eat? The Moral Imperative of the Medical Profession to Promote Plant-Based Nutrition,” also highlights multiple reasons that choosing plant-based nutrition over animal-based food can be viewed as being better for society as a whole.](/sites/default/files/styles/top_stories/public/2022-12/microsoftteams-image_12.png.webp?itok=RWBskBIY)
The Mediterranean diet and low-fat diets are both associated with significant health benefits among high-risk cardiovascular patients, according to a new meta-analysis published in The BMJ.[1]
“Worldwide, estimates have attributed 22% of adult deaths and 15% of disability adjusted life years to dietary habits,” wrote first author Giorgio Karam, a medical student with the University of Manitoba in Canada, and colleagues. “If this is true, diet is a leading cause of death and major morbidity.”
The study included more than 35,000 patients who originally participated in one of 40 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Seven different popular diets—the Mediterranean diet, low-fat diets, very-low-fat diets, modified-fat diets, combined low-fat/low-sodium diets, the Ornish diet and the Pritikin diet—were included in the team’s analysis. Also, some of the 40 RCTs focused on more than just diets; exercise and other secondary interventions were also present in many instances.
Overall, dietary programs focused on the Mediterranean diet were associated with significant improvements in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, stroke rates and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) rates compared to minimal intervention.
Dietary programs focused on low-fat diets, meanwhile, were linked to significant improvements in all-cause mortality and non-fatal MI rates compared to minimal intervention. They also “may be superior to minimal intervention” when it comes to unplanned cardiovascular interventions, but more research is needed to confirm whether this is accurate or not.
In both instances, these benefits were the most pronounced among high-risk cardiovascular patients.
The other five diets included in this meta-analysis were found to have “little or no benefit” compared to minimal intervention when exploring all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and other applicable outcomes.
A closer look at the Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet, named after its connection to the eating habits typically found in Greece and Italy, is based on eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and olive oil. While it primarily focuses on plant-based options, fish, seafood, poultry and dairy products are also allowed in moderation. The Mediterranean diet has repeatedly been highlighted by cardiologists, nutritionists and other healthcare specialists as one of the best heart-healthy diets a person can follow. Read just a few examples of that praise here, here, here and here.
Click here to read the full study.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.