Studies have found that people who follow the “Green Mediterranean” diet burn dangerous types of body fat at four times the rate of most dieters.
Those who followed a plant-based diet for 18 months experienced a 14% reduction in visceral fat levels, compared to just 4.5% in the control group who ate a standard healthy diet.
Visceral fat wraps around vital organs and inside the abdomen, usually giving someone a beer belly or apple shape.
This type is the most dangerous because it is thought to release chemicals and hormones into the blood that cause inflammation associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease and fatty liver disease. increase.
The Mediterranean diet, which is high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates, has become very popular in recent years, with a wealth of research touting it as helping you live longer, reduce frailty, and prevent cancer.
The above shows the healthy and ‘green’ Mediterranean diet consumed in this study. A healthy diet (left) followed basic dietary guidelines, while a Mediterranean diet (middle) was standard for this diet type, high in beans, legumes, whole grains, leafy greens, nuts, and fish. The “green” Mediterranean diet is a variation of this, with consumers replacing some meats with green tea and duckweed shakes.
The “green” Mediterranean diet is rich in legumes, legumes, whole grains, leafy green vegetables, olive oil, nuts and fish, but with a greater emphasis on vegetables.
In a recent study, people in this group were told to ditch red meat and poultry and drink three to four cups of green tea and duckweed shakes daily.
Researchers believe that polyphenols (plant compounds that protect the body’s tissues from stress) help burn fat, which has been pointed out in previous studies.
“A 14 percent reduction in visceral fat is a dramatic result from just a simple change in diet and lifestyle,” said Dr. Hira Zelicha, an obesity expert at Ben-Gurion University in Israel, who participated in the study. says.
Many experts believe that visceral fat is the true goal of weight loss and a better indicator of health than waist size.
Visceral fat builds up between organs over time, producing hormones and toxins that contribute to heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and premature death.
The top graph shows the percentage of visceral fat lost (expressed as VAT) according to the group to which the participants were assigned.
Research — published today in the journal BMCmedicine — 294 adults with a mean age of 50 years and a BMI of 31 were examined and classified into the obese category. Nearly 9 out of 10 were men.
From May 2017 to November 2018, they were fed three different diets.
Two groups were told to follow a variation of the Mediterranean diet.
One followed a “green” plant-based version that included three to four cups of green tea and one duckweed (Mankai) shake a day.
Another adhered to the standard Mediterranean diet.
Both had a calorie restriction of 1,400 calories per day for women and 1,800 calories for men. increased to
In a third group, participants were advised to eat healthy, but were not given a strict calorie count. .
During the study, each group received a weekly 90-minute nutrition lesson for the first month, followed by one lesson per month for the next five months.
They then took lessons every other month until the end of their studies.
All were asked to do 45-60 minutes of cardio and resistance training 3-4 times a week. They were also given free gym memberships to encourage their intake.
MRI was completed at the beginning and end of the trial to measure visceral fat.
Participants’ weight and waist circumference were also measured.
These measures decreased in both groups during the study, but there were no significant differences between decreases.
In the “environmentally friendly” diet group, participants lost an average of 3.9% of their body weight and 5.7% of their waist circumference.
Those following a standard Mediterranean diet dropped by 2.7% and 4.7% respectively.
There was also a 0.4% and 3.6% drop in people eating healthy.
What’s worth noting is the difference in visceral fat, says Dr. Zericha, adding, “Weight loss is a significant goal only when accompanied by impressive results in reducing adipose tissue.”
Professor Iris Shai, a nutritionist who led the study, said: “Our results show that diet quality is just as important as calories burned.
“The goal is to understand the mechanisms of different nutrients.”
The researchers suggested that the greater loss of visceral fat in the “greener” diet group was due to a diet containing more polyphenols.
Levels of these plant-based compounds were higher in these participants compared to the other groups.
These required more energy for digestion than the other groups, which scientists suggested led to more energy being burned.
Duckweed shakes consumed by those on a green diet were rich in protein, iron B12, vitamins and polyphenols.
People following the ‘Green Mediterranean’ diet rapidly burn dangerous types of body fat that cause ‘beer bellies’ (stock image)
