Mediterranean diet can blast belly fat caused by aging, new study finds

health

Written by Angelica Stabile, FOX News

A Mediterranean diet could be the key to blasting belly fat.

A new study from Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea-Plus (PREDIMED-Plus) reveals that a Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity can help fight age-related changes in the body, such as fat gain and loss of muscle mass. I did.

The study, published Oct. 18 in JAMA Network Open, aimed to determine whether diet can prevent cardiovascular disease, but it also found that after a three-year period there were no effects on body composition. Subgroups were evaluated to measure impact.

The results showed that a reduced-energy (low-calorie) Mediterranean diet and increased physical activity appeared to reduce age-related weight gain and muscle loss.

A total of 1,521 middle-aged and older participants with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome were divided into two groups.

The first group followed a Mediterranean diet while reducing their caloric intake by 30% and increasing their physical activity.

The second group followed a Mediterranean diet without calorie restriction or changes in physical activity.

Researchers said participants in the first group experienced “clinically meaningful” changes in body composition over the three years of the experiment.

This includes more than a 5% improvement in fat mass, visceral (abdominal) fat mass, and a reduction in lean muscle mass after just one year of starting the diet.

Fox News Digital has reached out to researchers for comment.

Ilana Muhlstein, a registered dietitian and nutritionist who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital that the Mediterranean diet “has been touted for years as the healthiest diet in the world.”

She added: “While that may be true, it is extremely arbitrary advice for medical professionals to give to the public.”

Muhlstein said the diet includes a “wide range of advice” as well as an emphasis on whole foods.

Nutritionists say the “good stuff” in the diet includes beans, legumes, whole grains, healthy fats, seeds, nuts and fish-based entrees.

The low-energy Mediterranean diet differs from the original diet by incorporating more protein, less added sugar, and more fresh vegetables and fruits instead of dried fruit.

“But the healthiest part of the Mediterranean diet that many Americans overlook is its absolute obsession with vegetables and fresh herbs,” Muhlstein says.

“These hearty, nutritious, low-calorie ingredients are at the heart of a true Mediterranean diet, but unfortunately they are neglected.”

The nutritionist said countries such as Israel and Greece, where “cardiovascular health is much better than in the United States,” include “rich” vegetables in every meal.

“These countries don’t just eat vegetables; they celebrate them and would never think of eating a meal without them,” she says.

“When serving dips like hummus or tzatziki, cucumber slices or a mixed salad are always served on the tray.”

“But in the US, we see people gorging on high-calorie Mediterranean dishes like pita, shawarma, and falafel with almost no vegetables in sight, which is beside the point,” she added. .

Muhlstein said people in these countries “tend to live healthier lives” because “they can easily maintain a healthy weight by eating plenty of low-starch vegetables every day.”

She advised Americans to cut back on pita bread and fill half their plates with Mediterranean staples like roasted eggplant, pickled turnips and chopped salad.

As far as physical activity is concerned, Mühlstein recommended around 45 minutes of exercise six days a week, in keeping with the “naturally active lifestyle” of people living in the Mediterranean.

Participants in the study were contacted by a trained nutritionist three times a month during the study, and Muhlstein said this may have “significantly improved” the participants’ relationship with food. Said it was expensive.

“Sadly, the way we view food in America has become really unhealthy,” she says.

“We’ve been encouraged to seek out carbohydrates and sugar for mental comfort and only rely on vegetables if we have to go on a diet.”

She said: “This is a kind of unhealthy way of thinking, [in] Poor health and obesity…Giving participants the opportunity to meet with a nutritionist and regularly and steadily improving their eating behavior and relationship with food is the key to lasting results. ”