Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Walnuts Helps to Reduce the Metabolic Syndrome

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Oct 28, 2013
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New study published in the magazine Archives of Internal Medicine

Mediterranean Diet supplemented with walnuts helps to reduce the metabolic syndrome

* A new result of the multicenter study PREDIMED demonstrates thatthe Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, basically walnuts, reduces in 13.7 % the metabolic syndrome and helps in its treatment and prevention. 1,244 persons with cardiovascular risk and aged 55 to 80 years old have participated in the research.

* The research has been realized by Dr. Jordi Salas, Head of the Human Nutrition Unit of the Rovira i Virgili University and is of great significance as the metabolic syndrome affects 10% of the workforce in Spain.

* Walnuts (one half of the daily serving of nuts in this study) are a whole food that provides nutrients, including fiber, and minerals, such as potassium, calcium and magnesium and are much richer than olive oil in alphalinoleic acid, the vegetable omega-3 fatty acid.

The Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, basically walnuts, helps to reduce the metabolic syndrome, a constellation of metabolic abnormalities that includes abdominal obesity, an increase of the glucose in the blood or diabetes, low HDL or good cholesterol and high blood pressure, all of them risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

These are the conclusions of a new study published in the last issue of the scientific journal Archives of Internal Medicine. The research has been coordinated by the Dr. Jordi Salas Director of the Human Nutrition Unit of the Rovira i Virgili University (Tarragona) and it is part of the multicentre study PREDIMED.

High fat Mediterranean Diet, as traditionally followed in the Mediterranean countries, has not been tested for effects on Metabolic Syndrome, a major public health problem in Spain: one in three adults in Spain meets the criteria to suffer metabolic syndrome suffer and it is already affecting 10% of the workforce in Spain and one of every 4 children with childhood obesity. Therefore, the authors of the study, decided to evaluate the effects of a Mediterranean diet supplemented or nuts, basically walnuts, or with olive oil on the metabolic syndrome. They compared the 1-year effect of 2 behavioral interventions in 1,224 subjects with cardiovascular risk and aged from 55 to 80 years.

At baseline, the 61,4% of participants met criteria fro the metabolic syndrome. They were divided in three groups: the first one received advices on a low-fat diet, the second one received education about the Mediterranean diet and a provision of 30 grams a day of mixed nuts (15 grams of walnuts, 7,5 gr. of almonds and other 7,5 gr. of hazelnuts), the third group received the same information and a provision of one litre of virgin olive oil per week.

The results of the research demonstrate a major reduction of the metabolic syndrome in the group that was following the Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, basically walnuts, than in the rest of the groups. The overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was reduced by 13,7% among the participants in the group of nuts, by 6,7 % in the group of the olive oil and 2% in the control group.

On the other hand, in those participants who at the beginning of the study were not presenting metabolic syndrome and followed the recommendations of Mediterranean diet tended to develop less this syndrome comparatively to the low fat diet group.

The researchers also verified that despite the absence of weight loss in the participants of the study, the high waist circumference, elevated
triglycerides and high blood pressure were significantly reduced in the nuts group. That the Mediterranean Diet supplemented with nuts, basically walnuts, is beneficial for reversing metabolic syndrome suggest that its components have positive effects on insulin resistance and other factors central to the characteristics of metabolic syndrome such as chronic inflammation. Walnuts (one half of the daily serving of nuts in this study) are a whole food that provides nutrients, including fibre, and minerals, such as potassium, calcium and magnesium and walnuts are much richer than olive oil in alphalinoleic acid, the vegetable omega-3 fatty acid.

A large scale research

The PREDIMED study, a long-term multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial designed to assess the effects of the Mediterranean diet on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. An estimated 9000 high-risk participants, more than 7,000 already recruited, are assigned to three interventions: Mediterranean diet with mixed nuts, Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil, or low-fat diet. The study is expected to be completed in late 2010.

The first results of the PREDIMED study reported that the Mediterranean diet, supplemented with oil olive or nuts, basically walnuts, reduced arterial pressure, blood lipids, fasting blood glucose, and inflammation, thus favourably influencing all measured risk factors for heart disease (Annals of Internal Medicine, 2006). Given these results, Dr Estruch confirms "it’s easy to foresee that the participants who follow the Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or with nuts will show in the long run a 50% reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular complications".

For further information:

* Expert interviews with leading researcher:

– Jordi Salas-Salvado, MD, PhD, Human Nutrition Unit at University of Rovira i Virgili in Reus, Spain (Lead author).
– Ramon Estruch, MD, General Coordinator of the PREDIMED.
– Dr. Emilio Ros, MD, Head of the Lipid Clinic of Hospital Clinic.

* Photos
* Video
New study published in the magazine Archives of Internal Medicine

Mediterranean Diet supplemented with walnuts

helps to reduce the metabolic syndrome

  • A new result of the multicenter study PREDIMED demonstrates thatthe Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, basically walnuts, reduces in 13.7 % the metabolic syndrome and helps in its treatment and prevention. 1,244 persons with cardiovascular risk and aged 55 to 80 years old have participated in the research.
  • The research has been realized by Dr. Jordi Salas, Head of the Human Nutrition Unit of the Rovira i Virgili University and is of great significance as the metabolic syndrome affects 10% of the workforce in Spain.
  • Walnuts (one half of the daily serving of nuts in this study) are a whole food that provides nutrients, including fiber, and minerals, such as potassium, calcium and magnesium and are much richer than olive oil in alphalinoleic acid, the vegetable omega-3 fatty acid.

The Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, basically walnuts, helps to reduce the metabolic syndrome, a constellation of metabolic abnormalities that includes abdominal obesity, an increase of the glucose in the blood or diabetes, low HDL or good cholesterol and high blood pressure, all of them risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

These are the conclusions of a new study published in the last issue of the scientific journal Archives of Internal Medicine. The research has been coordinated by the Dr. Jordi Salas Director of the Human Nutrition Unit of the Rovira i Virgili University (Tarragona) and it is part of the multicentre study PREDIMED.

High fat Mediterranean Diet, as traditionally followed in the Mediterranean countries, has not been tested for effects on Metabolic Syndrome, a major public health problem in Spain: one in three adults in Spain meets the criteria to suffer metabolic syndrome suffer and it is already affecting 10% of the workforce in Spain and one of every 4 children with childhood obesity. Therefore, the authors of the study, decided to evaluate the effects of a Mediterranean diet supplemented or nuts, basically walnuts, or with olive oil on the metabolic syndrome. They compared the 1-year effect of 2 behavioral interventions in 1,224 subjects with cardiovascular risk and aged from 55 to 80 years.

At baseline, the 61,4% of participants met criteria fro the metabolic syndrome. They were divided in three groups: the first one received advices on a low-fat diet, the second one received education about the Mediterranean diet and a provision of 30 grams a day of mixed nuts (15 grams of walnuts, 7,5 gr. of almonds and other 7,5 gr. of hazelnuts), the third group received the same information and a provision of one litre of virgin olive oil per week.

The results of the research demonstrate a major reduction of the metabolic syndrome in the group that was following the Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, basically walnuts, than in the rest of the groups.

The overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was reduced by 13,7% among the participants in the group of nuts, by 6,7 % in the group of the olive oil and 2% in the control group.

On the other hand, in those participants who at the beginning of the study were not presenting metabolic syndrome and followed the recommendations of Mediterranean diet tended to develop less this syndrome comparatively to the low fat diet group.

The researchers also verified that despite the absence of weight loss in the participants of the study,

the high waist circumference, elevated

triglycerides and high blood pressure were significantly reduced in the nuts group.

That the Mediterranean Diet supplemented with nuts, basically walnuts, is beneficial for reversing metabolic syndrome suggest that its components have positive effects on insulin resistance and other factors central to the characteristics of metabolic syndrome such as chronic inflammation.

Walnuts (one half of the daily serving of nuts in this study) are a whole food that provides nutrients, including fibre, and minerals, such as potassium, calcium and magnesium and walnuts are much richer than olive oil in alphalinoleic acid, the vegetable omega-3 fatty acid.

A large scale research

The PREDIMED study, a long-term multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial designed to assess the effects of the Mediterranean diet on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. An estimated 9000 high-risk participants, more than 7,000 already recruited, are assigned to three interventions: Mediterranean diet with mixed nuts, Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil, or low-fat diet. The study is expected to be completed in late 2010.

The first results of the PREDIMED study reported that the Mediterranean diet, supplemented with oil olive or nuts, basically walnuts, reduced arterial pressure, blood lipids, fasting blood glucose, and inflammation, thus favourably influencing all measured risk factors for heart disease (Annals of Internal Medicine, 2006). Given these results, Dr Estruch confirms "it’s easy to foresee that the participants who follow the Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or with nuts will show in the long run a 50% reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular complications".

For further information:

  • Expert interviews with leading researcher:

– Jordi Salas-Salvado, MD, PhD, Human Nutrition Unit at University of Rovira i Virgili in Reus, Spain (Lead author).

– Ramon Estruch, MD, General Coordinator of the PREDIMED.

– Dr. Emilio Ros, MD, Head of the Lipid Clinic of Hospital Clinic.

  • Photos
  • Video

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