Mediterranean Diet and Diabetes

A Diet Review

Overview:

The Mediterranean diet and diabetes connection is very strong. Although we may be jumping the gun early in this diet review, the mediterranean diet for diabetes health, may be the best diet you can follow. Even if you do not have diabetes.

As the name suggests, the Mediterranean diet focuses on the traditional foods eaten in the region primarily Crete and southern Italy. Lower cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes rates have been linked to following this diet.

Mediterranena Diet Diabetes - How does it Work?

Like other diets (South Beach, Atkins, Zone), the Mediterranean is lower in carbohydrates than a traditional western or American diet. Fat, primarily olive oil, amounts to 25% to 30% of the daily calories. Vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains and fish are the primary foods. Red meat is limited and small amount of red wine is also advocated.

Weight loss and healthy lifestyle (lower rates of disease and diabetes) are attributed to several factors. The fat intake is primarily monounsaturated fat from olive oil, not animal fat in American diets which is high in saturated fat.

High dietary fiber from fruit and vegetables is also linked to lower cardiovascular disease and other ailments, as is light amounts of red wine. Carbohydrates are allowed but usually in more modest amounts and in the form of whole grains, not processed carbohydrates (as found in the American diet). This difference allows for more nutrition and leads to less weight.

The diet can be relatively simple to implement. However, it will require you to change your habit and learn new foods and recipes. It is not a onetime fad diet, but more of a lifestyle.

Why is the Mediterranean Diet and Diabetes so Popular?

A research study completed in 2007, tracked the link between the Mediterranean Diet and diabetes. The diet's effect was studied using a group of 13,000 people over an 8 year period. Incredibly, the study found that strict adherence to the diet lowered a person's risk of obtaining diabetes by 83 PERCENT! Why?

In addition to managing weight and the nutritional benefits discussed above, the diet has been linked to lowering blood sugar and blood pressure levels. Thus, the diet, overall, is healthy for all people, particularly those with diabetes or at risk of obtaining the disease. Because these effects also lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetics can benefit as they are at a much higher risk for cardiovascular complications.

Exercise Component

Daily exercise is a recommended component of the diet.

Mediterranean Diet Diabetes - What the Critics Say

Critics cite numerous conflicting studies showing that individual facets of the diet have not been proven beneficial, some in fact being harmful. For example, some studies site the benefits of saturated fat and polyunsaturated fat (the Mediterranean diet promotes monounsaturated fat). Also, the effect of genetics, exercise and the region itself are unclear. The diet may also be poor in iron and calcium.

Proponents of the diet respond that it is not any one aspect of the diet that works, but the totality of the foods combined with the exercise. Any one thing, or lack of one thing, can be detrimental in all aspects of life, including the Mediterranean diet and diabetes care in general.

Bottom Line

The diet has some of the strongest research linking it to good health, particularly in combating diabetes. Learning new recipes and making good food choices is difficult. This is particularly difficult if you are not currently eating many of these foods, such as fish.

Costs:

The cost can be what you make it. There are multiple cookbooks that describe the diet. If you want some helping getting started, ediets.com offers menu planning and nutritional counselling for about twenty dollars a month. The link to the Mediterranean program is at the top of the page. Alternatively, the South Beach Diet is also a modified Mediterranean diet. You can check out our review of this diet on our site.

Further Reading and Resources

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