Metabolic Health
Research Corner:
A Greener Mediterranean Diet & Added Health Benefits: Food to support your metabolism and reduce visceral fat
by Rita Thompson, Synergy Health Coach
What comes to mind when you think of a Mediterranean diet? The Mediterranean diet (MED diet) caught the attention of researchers when they noticed people in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea like France, Italy, Spain, and Greece were at lower risk for the development of chronic illnesses and diseases compared to the United States. The focus of a Mediterranean diet includes healthy plant foods and fairly low amounts of animal products and meat.
Some of the classic ingredients in a Mediterranean diet include:
Whole grains
Colorful fruits and vegetables
Nuts and seeds
Beans and legumes
Healthy fats like olive oil and avocado oil
Fish and poultry
Processed foods, foods with added sugar, and refined grains are typically not a part of a MED diet.
Standard MED Diet vs. Green-MED Diet
While the MED diet is already known as a great source of polyphenols (a category of plant compounds that offer various health benefits), a new type of MED diet called the green-MED diet offers even greater benefits. The biggest difference between these diets is the green-MED diet has even more focus on plant-based foods (higher levels of polyphenols), and less meat and poultry than the standard MED diet.
Findings in a recent study conducted by BMC Medicine, showed that while patients eating a green-MED diet and a MED diet both experienced similar weight loss and waist circumference change, participants who used the green-Med diet lost double the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) than the standard Med diet participants did. VAT is a type of hidden fat that accumulates around the organs in the abdominal region, and with too much accumulation, puts someone at higher risk for cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and type II diabetes. It is therefore notable that the green-MED diet has higher levels of plant-based polyphenols, and effectively reduces the health risks associated with VAT accumulation more than the standard MED diet.
Key Takeaways
VAT is a type of hidden fat that accumulates around the organs in the abdominal region.
VAT accumulation puts someone at higher risk for cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and type II diabetes.
The green-MED diet has higher levels of polyphenols (a plant compound) and is lower in red and/or processed meat than a traditional Mediterranean diet.
A recent study showed a green-MED diet more effectively reduced VAT than a standard Med diet because of its higher levels of polyphenols.