The Spanish Society of Arteriosclerosis (SEA) has emphasized, on the occasion of World Mediterranean Diet Day, that following this dietary pattern more strictly is, according to the available scientific evidence, related to a longer life expectancy and to a reduction in the risk of suffering multiple chronic diseases.
The SEA emphasizes that the heart is the organ for which there is the most compelling evidence of the positive effects of the Mediterranean diet, having been shown to help reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular events both in people at high risk and in those who have already suffered from coronary pathology.
In this vein, it recalls that the multicenter trial "PREDIMED" was the first to confirm that an eating pattern based on the Mediterranean diet reduced the incidence of cardiovascular episodes in individuals with high risk but without a history of cardiovascular disease.
This work was carried out with the involvement of the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, the University of Navarra, and numerous Spanish research groups integrated into CIBEROBN (Biomedical Research Network Centre for the Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition).
Likewise, the "CORDIOPREV" study showed that the Mediterranean diet achieved a reduction greater than 25 percent in the risk of new cardiovascular events even compared with a low-fat diet, after seven years of dietary intervention.
This research was developed by the Unit of Lipids and Arteriosclerosis of the Reina Sofía University Hospital and the Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research in Córdoba, with the participation of more than one thousand coronary patients from Córdoba.
Cancer, brain, diabetes and mental health
The scientific society adds that better adherence to the Mediterranean diet is linked to a lower risk of various types of cancer, including colorectal and breast cancer, although the degree of certainty differs according to the tumor location and much of the information comes from observational studies.
An association with a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia has also been observed, which reinforces the importance of healthy eating as part of caring for the brain throughout aging.
These findings are added with favorable effects on the control of body weight and metabolic health, including the prevention of type 2 diabetes. At the same time, their possible benefits on depressive symptoms and on quality of life are being analyzed.
According to the SEA, resuming this dietary model implies giving a central role to vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. It can also involve recovering traditional stews and sofrito, which combine plant-based ingredients with olive oil and show that eating in a healthy way can be both tasty, varied, and familiar.
Similarly, it argues that fish should occupy a relevant position among sources of animal protein, while legumes are consolidated as a reference for plant protein. As for meats, poultry and rabbit are characteristic options of this cuisine. In turn, olive oil, preferably extra virgin, acts as the backbone of the Mediterranean diet.
Finally, a recent consensus from the SEA and the Sociedad Española de Medicina emphasizes that the Mediterranean Diet goes beyond what is served on the plate. Thus, in order to understand it and maintain it, it is also necessary to consider how foods are selected and prepared, at what times they are consumed, and with whom they are shared. "These social components, often less visible than nutrients, form an indisputable part of its identity and of its multiple benefits for physical and mental health," concludes the SEA.