Re: Mediterranean diet beats low fat diet for heart health

[Guest guest]

check out the details of the "low fat" diet... as we will see.. it will be not be a low fat diet and it will be very low in fiber, and high in refined carbs... and not very high in fruits and veggies.. some things never change. Diane Walter <dianepwalter@...> wrote: Compared with a low-fat diet, Mediterranean diets supplemented witholive oil or nuts have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors.http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/145/1/1-Diane

[Guest guest]

Jeff,

I'm not a subscriber so I couldn't view the whole article (and thus

the details of the diets). Can you post it?

Thanks,

Diane

> Compared with a low-fat diet, Mediterranean diets

supplemented with

> olive oil or nuts have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk

factors.

>

> http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/145/1/1

>

> -Diane

>

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

The effects of two Mediterranean diets have been compared with a low fat diet.

A

CR-like effect was observed for the particants who consumed increased levels of

olive oil. The pdf is available.

Table 3. Changes in Energy and Nutrient Intake*

================================================================================\

===

Food---Mean Changes from baseline at 3 mo (95% CI)------Mediterranean with olive

oil

vs. low-fat diet---Mediterranean with nuts vs. low-fat diet

---Mediterranean with olive oil (n=257)---Mediterranean with nuts

(n=257)---Low-fat diet (n=256)------

Mean (95% CI) Between-group difference, g/d^¶ Pe---Mean (95% CI) Between-group

difference, g/d^¶ P

================================================================================\

===

Energy, kcal -180 (-271 to -89) -34 (-140 to 67) -197 (-300 to -95) 4.5

(-139.0

to 148.0) 0.95 161 (12 to 310) 0.034

Energy from total protein, % 0.36 (-0.06 to 0.78) -0.28 (-0.69 to 0.11) 0.83

(0.38 to 1.27) -0.47 (-1.07 to 0.13) 0.122 -1.00 (-1.60 to -0.38) 0.002

Energy from total carbohydrate, % 0.33 (-0.59 to 1.26) -2.9 (-4.0 to -1.9)

-0.36

(-1.50 to 0.80) 0.22 (-1.30 to 1.70) 0.84 -3.6 (-5.2 to -2.1)

<0.001

Fiber, g/d 0.98 (-0.74 to 2.70) 3.8 (1.8 to 5.7) 0.60 (-0.94 to 2.20) 0.49

(-1.90

to 2.90) 0.69 2.00 (-0.54 to 4.50) 0.124

Energy from total fat, % -0.75 (-1.60 to 0.08) 3.4 (2.4 to 4.5) -1.40 (-2.50

to

-0.21) 0.45 (-1.00 to 1.90) 0.55 5.0 (3.5 to 6.5) <0.001

SFA, % -0.77 (-1.00 to -0.49) -1.00 (-1.40 to -0.72) -0.74 (-1.20 to -0.31)

-0.09

(-0.55 to 0.36) 0.69 0.07 (-0.40 to 0.54) 0.78

MUFA, % 0.15 (-0.39 to 0.70) 1.38 (0.81 to 2.00) -0.52 (-1.20 to 0.22) 0.58

(-0.30 to 1.45) 0.198 1.9 (1.0 to 2.8) <0.001

PUFA, % -0.11 (-0.38 to 0.17) 3.0 (2.5 to 3.6) 0.14 (-0.46 to 0.17) 0.03

(-0.53

to 0.58) 0.93 3.0 (2.4 to 3.5) <0.001

Linoleic acid, g/d -2.1 (-2.8 to -1.1) 7.6 (5.8 to 9.3) -0.68 (-1.80 to 0.44)

-0.27 (-0.85 to 0.31) 0.76 1.4 (1.1 to 1.7) <0.001

Alpha-linolenic acid, g/d 0.06 (-0.17 to 0.04) 1.20 (0.92 to 1.40) -0.10

(-0.27

to 0.08) 0.03 (-0.32 to 0.25) 0.82 1.20 (0.86 to 1.50) <0.001

Marine n-3 fatty acids, g/d 0.02 (-0.05 to 0.08) 0.11 (0.01 to 0.21) 0.13

(-0.02

to 0.28) 0.11 (-0.26 to 0.04) 0.143 -0.04 (-0.20 to 0.12) 0.60

Energy from olive oil, % 2.05 (1.20 to 2.90) 0.46 (-0.41 to 1.30) 0.06 (-1.00

to

1.20) 1.9 (0.55 to 3.20) 0.006 0.17 (-1.20 to 1.50) 0.81

Energy from nuts, % 0.40 (0.01 to 0.79) 10.2 (8.7 to 12.0) -0.07 (-0.57 to

0.42)

0.03 (-1.30 to 1.40) 0.97 9.1 (7.7 to 10.0) <0.001

Cholesterol, mg/d -53 (-75 to -31) -54 (-74 to -34) -13 (-47 to 21) -38 (-152

to

76) 0.27 -42 (-165 to 80) 0.152

================================================================

* Forty-nine participants were excluded from calculations of energy and

nutrient

intake because reported energy was unrealistic (see Table 2).

MUFA=monounsaturated fatty acid; PUFA=polyunsaturated fatty acid;

SFA=saturated

fatty acid.

^¶ Adjusted for center, age, sex, and baseline body weight.

Table 4. Changes in Adiposity, Blood Pressure, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors*

================================================================================\

===

Food---Mean Changes from baseline at 3 mo (95% CI)------Mediterranean with olive

oil

vs. low-fat diet---Mediterranean with nuts vs. low-fat diet

---Mediterranean with olive oil (n=257)---Mediterranean with nuts

(n=257)---Low-fat diet (n=256)------

Mean (95% CI) Between-group difference, g/d^¶ Pe---Mean (95% CI) Between-group

difference, g/d^¶ P

================================================================================\

===

Weight, kg -0.19 (-0.46 to 0.07) -0.26 (-0.59 to 0.08) -0.24 (-0.48 to 0.01)

0.01

(-0.39 to 0.42) 0.96 0.01 (-0.40 to 0.43) 0.95

BMI, kg/m2 -0.12 (-0.24 to 0.06) -0.09 (-0.24 to 0.05) -0.21 (-0.38 to -0.05)

0.09 (-0.12 to 0.29) 0.40 0.15 (-0.06 to 0.35) 0.165

Waist, cm -0.82 (-1.80 to 0.14) -0.29 (-0.95 to 0.37) -0.37 (-1.20 to 0.44)

-0.52

(-1.60 to 0.61) 0.37 0.12 (-1.00 to 1.30) 0.84

Systolic BP, mm Hg -4.8 (-6.7 to -2.7) -6.5 (-8.7 to -4.3) 0.64 (-1.30 to

2.30)

-5.9 (-8.7 to -3.1) <0.001 -7.1 (-10.0 to -4.1) <0.001

Diastolic BP, mm Hg -2.5 (-3.5 to -1.5) -3.6 (-4.7 to -2.5) -0.85 (-1.79 to

0.09)

-1.60 (-3.00 to -0.01) 0.048 -2.6 (-4.2 to 1.0) 0.001

Fasting glucose level 0.017 0.039

mmol/L -0.21 (-0.41 to -0.01) -0.14 (-0.31 to 0.03) 0.19 (-0.06 to 0.04)

-0.39

(-0.72 to -0.07) -0.30 (-0.58 to -0.01)

mg/dL -3.8 (-7.4 to -0.2) -2.5 (-5.5 to 0.5) 3.5 (-1.0 to 8.0) -7.0 (-13.0

to

-1.3) -5.4 (-10.5 to -0.2)

Fasting insulin level, pmol/L^¶¶ -9.7 (-15.3 to -3.8) -9.7 (-15.9 to -3.5)

6.5

(-3.8 to 16.7) -16.7 (-27.1 to -0.4) 0.001 -20.4 (-31.9 to -9.7) <0.001

HOMA index^¶¶ -0.53 (-0.83 to -0.23) -0.54 (-0.82 to -0.26) 0.32 (-0.15 to

0.79)

-0.91 (-1.40 to -0.46) <0.001 -1.1 (-1.6 to -0.55) <0.001

Total cholesterol level 0.26 0.040

mmol/L -0.10 (-0.21 to 0.01) -0.13 (-0.22 to -0.04) 0.02 (-0.10 to 0.14)

-0.09

(-0.25 to 0.07) -0.16 (-0.31 to -0.01)

mg/dL -3.90 (-8.10 to 0.35) -5.0 (-8.6 to -1.4) 0.74 (-3.80 to 5.30) -3.5

(-9.5 to 2.6) -6.20 (-12.00 to -0.28)

LDL cholesterol level 0.177 0.119

mmol/L -0.15 (-0.25 to -0.05) -0.10 (-0.19 to -0.01) -0.15 (-0.12 to 0.09)

-0.10 (-0.25 to 0.04) -0.09 (-0.23 to 0.05)

mg/dL -5.8 (-9.8 to -1.8) -3.80 (-7.30 to -0.39) -0.56 (-4.60 to 3.50)

-3.9

(-9.5 to 1.7) -3.4 (-8.9 to 2.1)

HDL cholesterol level <0.001 0.006

mmol/L 0.62 (0.08 to 0.04) 0.020 (0.002 to 0.050) -0.01 (-0.03 to 0.01)

0.08

(0.04 to 0.10) 0.04 (0.01 to 0.07)

mg/dL 2.4 (3.1 to 1.6) 0.94 (0.10 to 1.80) -0.37 (-1.20 to 0.40) 2.9 (1.7

to

4.0) 1.60 (0.45 to 2.70)

Triglyceride level 0.21 0.022

mmol/L -0.03 (-0.13 to 0.07) -0.09 (-0.16 to -0.01) 0.03 (-0.05 to 0.10)

-0.08

(-0.20 to 0.04) -0.15 (-0.26 to -0.02)

mg/dL -3.0 (-11.8 to 5.9) -7.6 (-14.0 to -1.1) 2.4 (-4.4 to 9.2) -7.1

(-18.0

to 3.9) -13.0 (-23.0 to -1.9)

Cholesterol-HDL cholesterol ratio -0.32 (-0.45 to -0.18) -0.17 (-0.27 to

-0.02)

0.06 (-0.05 to 0.16) -0.38 (-0.55 to -0.22) <0.001 -0.26 (-0.42 to -0.10) 0.002

================================================================

* BMI=body mass index; BP=blood pressure; HDL=high-density lipoprotein;

HOMA=homeostasis model assessment (a measure of insulin resistance);

LDL=low-density

lipoprotein.

^¶ Adjusted for center, age, sex, and baseline body weight.

^¶¶ Determined only for 305 participants without diabetes (95 in the

Mediterranean diet with olive oil group, 110 in the Mediterranean diet with nuts

group, and 100 in the low-fat diet group).

...limitation is that nutritional education about low-fat diet was less

intense

than education about Mediterranean diets. In fact, fat intake was only

marginally

reduced in the group assigned to the low-fat diet. This was partly because of

the

study design but also because participants belonged to a Mediterranean culture,

where people prefer using olive oil. Because the low-fat diet was not the usual

diet, participants in this group also changed food habits in a healthy way.

Therefore, the differences in outcomes observed between the Mediterranean diet

groups and the low-fat diet group might be attributed to the supplemental foods

provided. The duration of follow-up of only 3 months cannot be considered a

major

limitation because effects of dietary interventions on risk factors do not need

a

long induction period (44, 45, 53) and seem to persist as long as adherence is

maintained (12, 48, 49). ...

--- Diane Walter <dianepwalter@...> wrote:

> Compared with a low-fat diet, Mediterranean diets supplemented with

> olive oil or nuts have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors.

>

> http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/145/1/1

-- Al Pater, PhD; email: old542000@...

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

let me know if this comes thru JSNDiane Walter <dianepwalter@...> wrote: Jeff,I'm not a subscriber so I couldn't view the whole article (and thusthe details of the diets). Can you post it?Thanks,Diane> Compared with a low-fat diet, Mediterranean dietssupplemented with> olive oil or nuts have beneficial effects on cardiovascular riskfactors.> > http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/145/1/1> > -Diane>

[Guest guest]

Hi Al:

It would really help if you could explain the column labels that go

along with the tables.

For example, excluding the 95% CI data - which are in parentheses -

there are seven columns in the first table. Could you possibly

identify for us what each of those columns are please? I have tried

to relate those seven columns to the labels listed above, but I

cannot figure out which labels apply.

--------------------

On entirely different point, are not the study's conclusions totally

discredited by the quote: " ... In fact, fat intake was only

marginally reduced in the group assigned to the low-fat diet " ?

Are they not saying, in other words, that the people they **label**

as on a low fat diet WERE NOT ON A LOW FAT DIET?

Unless I misunderstand that quotation it makes the entire conclusion

of the study laughable. If I am mistaken I would appreciate someone

pointing out what it is I have misunderstood.

I have a number of other misgivings based on what I see here, but

will refrain from raising them until I see the study in more detail.

Rodney.

>

> > Compared with a low-fat diet, Mediterranean diets supplemented

with

> > olive oil or nuts have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk

factors.

> >

> > http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/145/1/1

>

> -- Al Pater, PhD; email: old542000@...

>

> __________________________________________________

>