A high-fat diet may not be so bad for you after all, according to science.
An analysis of more than 50 studies on the Mediterranean diet, published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, shows that when compared to other diets, it could lower your risk of breast cancer, diabetes and heart problems.
For the purposes of this research, the mostly plant-based Mediterranean diet was defined as one that didn’t limit total fat intake, in addition to two or more of these aspects: high monounsaturated-to-saturated fat ratio, high fruit and vegetable intake, high consumption of legumes, high grain and cereal intake, moderate red wine consumption, moderate consumption of dairy products and low consumption of meat and meat products with increased intake of fish, according to a press release.
The analysis found that people on the Mediterranean diets had a 29 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than those who weren’t on the diet, a 57 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer and a 30 percent reduced risk of getting diabetes. Still, the diet did not appear to impact overall mortality — those who followed the approach did not have a lower risk for dying earlier than those who didn’t.
In developed countries, diseases like cancer and diabetes are still major causes of morbidity and mortality and are associated with high-sugar and saturated fat-laced Western diets. The Mediterranean diet has often been touted as a healthier choice.
The eating style received a 3.9 out of 5 score overall in U.S. News’ Best Diets rankings, coming in tied at No. 4. overall. Pros of the diet include that it meets nutrition standards and includes diverse foods and flavors, but cons are its heavy grunt work and moderate price.
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Mediterranean Diet Could Prevent Deadly Diseases originally appeared on usnews.com
