Rabih Dagher

Mediterranean diet has been found to drastically reduce the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. In fact, a study published in May 2008 in the online edition of The British Medical Journal showed that people who adhered to Mediterranean diet had an 83% reduction in their risk of developing diabetes, while those who moderately followed the diet had their risk reduced by 59%. But now, a new research found that it can help those who are newly diagnosed as well.

The study split over 200 overweight people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes into two diets. One with low fat and the other one with Mediterranean diet, and the findings were quite remarkable. After four years, only 44% of those who followed the Mediterranean diet needed medications, compared to 70% who followed a low fat diet.

More about this and the Mediterranean diet below with Monica Matys:

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Since it’s Spring time, many experience seasonal allergies this time of the year. The Mediterranean diet could help those with allergies such as hay fever by boosting their immune system. The Mediterranean diet is chock full of healthy foods like grapes, tomatoes, and nuts. These foods provide the most benefits based on their antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are known for their disease-fighting ability. They work to sop-up the so-called free radicals left over in the body as a byproduct of a cell’s day-to-day functions.

In 2007, British scientists surveyed the parents of nearly 700 children in the Greek island of Crete to assess their respiratory symptoms and dietary habits. They found that at least twice a day, eight out of 10 children ate fresh fruit, and two-thirds ate fresh vegetables. The health benefits appeared to be strongest in terms of respiratory problems. Children who followed this healthy diet were less likely to develop air or skin allergies, or asthma symptoms.

Watch the video below by CTV’s health reporter Monica Matys:

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A new study supported by The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health concluded that eating a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables and nuts helps protect the heart. The research, which was led by Dr. Sonia Anand of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, analyzed almost 200 studies, involving millions of people, which were published from 1950 till June 2007. The study was published last Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The Mediterranean diet involves high consumption of vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts that are not roasted or salted, cheese or yogurt, whole grains, fish, and monosaturated fats such as olive oil and avocados. The research also confirmed that trans-fatty acids are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Starchy carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice and white potatoes that are high on the glycemic index were also linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

More information about this in the interview below by CBC with Dr. Sonia Anand:

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Past research has shown that following a Mediterranean diet can help protect from heart diseases and diabetes, but now there is a new evidence that it could protect your brain as well. The study, performed by doctors from Columbia University, followed 1800 seniors over a five year period. One of the things it found is that people with no memory problem, who followed a Mediterranean diet, reduced their risks of developing cognitive impairment by 28%. Those with some memory problems reduced the risk of developing a full blown Alzheimer’s by half.

Dr. Rhonda Low from CTV explains it more in the following video:

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Spanish researchers have found that people who followed a Mediterranean diet and added a few daily handfuls of nuts were 70% more likely to reduce their metabolic disorder. Specifically the participants ate walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds.

Watch Dr. Rhonda Low from CTV talk about it:

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