tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post3221026883164753817..comments2024-02-12T05:30:13.488-05:00Comments on Fanatic Cook: Is The Mediterranean Diet Really All That?Bixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06263963508785739508noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-65888803040108668122013-02-28T15:15:55.468-05:002013-02-28T15:15:55.468-05:00I do remember vividly that comment by the NEJM edi...I do remember vividly that comment by the NEJM editor and have cited it often. Thanks for bringing it up again, Bix, so now I have the correct quote!<br /> <br />Excuse me for confusing you with a vegan--I thought you were. Mea culpa. <br /><br />If no published research can be trusted, how does one decide whether to believe Esselstyn (sp?), Ornish, Barnard, Campbell,the authors of the NEJM study, or any of the others? They're all making a profit, either from their books or from advancing up the academic ladder (publish or perish).<br /> <br />Looking at the Mediterranean foodway historically, it would have originated back in ancient times or even prehistoric times, when few people travelled and folks ate what they had available. So the coastal areas around the Medit. ate fish, veggies, lots of fruit, olives, foraged greens, etc. Nowadays, food supplies are far more diverse, so really only anthropologists can reconstruct what a foodway originally was. Same problem with the Paleo diet, which I think people completely miscontrue nowadays (not that it's how I eat, but I know some pretty hardcore Paleo folks who brook no criticism of their diet).Angela and Melindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01595787896658046091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-54378262775917056682013-02-28T13:14:57.454-05:002013-02-28T13:14:57.454-05:00This study was published in the New England Journa...This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.<br /><br />The former editor-in-chief of The New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Marcia Angell, said in 2009:<br /><br /><i>"It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of The New England Journal of Medicine."</i>Bixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06263963508785739508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-14298777456734349112013-02-28T13:08:34.555-05:002013-02-28T13:08:34.555-05:00Being at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is ...Being at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not the same as being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Even if the participants eating the Mediterranean diet DID have CVD, which we were told they didn't, why did their disease progress to a major heart event? At the same rate as those in the control group! (Table 3.)<br /><br /><b>In this study, the Mediterranean diet did not reduce risk for heart attack, death from cardiovascular causes, or death from any cause. Please see Table 3.</b><br /><br />As you know, I am not a vegan.Bixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06263963508785739508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-79808789261111805972013-02-28T12:46:25.171-05:002013-02-28T12:46:25.171-05:00The diet does eschew red meats and even downplays ...The diet does eschew red meats and even downplays white meats in recommending what *not* to eat: "Of course, there are also foods to avoid or consume in limited quantities. They include cream, butter, margarine, pâté, lunch meats, French fries, potato chips, sugared sodas or other drinks with sugar added, as well as pastries and baked goods like cakes, cookies and doughnuts. Try to steer clear of what the researchers call “industrial desserts,” which they defined as puddings, custards and other desserts that are not homemade. Eat white meat like chicken or turkey without the skin instead of red meat or processed meats like sausages."Angela and Melindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01595787896658046091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-44865704339958118132013-02-28T12:20:19.595-05:002013-02-28T12:20:19.595-05:00The NYT said the ~7500 Spaniards in the study were...The NYT said the ~7500 Spaniards in the study were "subjects at high risk of heart disease": "Heart disease experts said the study was a triumph because it showed that a diet was powerful in reducing heart disease risk, and it did so using the most rigorous methods. Scientists randomly assigned 7,447 people in Spain who were overweight, were smokers, or had diabetes or other risk factors for heart disease to follow the Mediterranean diet or a low-fat one." Another benefit they mentioned was that more people enjoyed the Mediterranean diet than the low-fat diet. I admire people (like you, Bix & some of you others!) who can eat only plant foods and little-to-no oil, but I just can't do it myself, so I'm happy to know there's a helpful alternative. Just my opinion of course.Angela and Melindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01595787896658046091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-62140888374815869392013-02-28T09:17:23.144-05:002013-02-28T09:17:23.144-05:00So the Mediterranean diet doesn't reduce heart...So the Mediterranean diet doesn't reduce heart attacks? Why aren't the news media reporting that? How could they get it so wrong!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-77299134677301007822013-02-27T12:19:57.632-05:002013-02-27T12:19:57.632-05:00I've been pouring over these supplemental mate...I've been pouring over these supplemental materials. Great stuff. For instance ... they all ate about the same amount of red meat and soda and pastries, but the Mediterranean groups did eat significantly more fruits, vegetables, beans, wine, and seafood. Honestly, I think that's the real lesson in this... But I'm only shadowing RB now :) Bixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06263963508785739508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-12683806665320245852013-02-27T12:18:30.922-05:002013-02-27T12:18:30.922-05:00Reijo, I agree with you that if your only tool is ...Reijo, I agree with you that if your only tool is Ornish, you're quite limited.Bixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06263963508785739508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-77721081249278500352013-02-27T08:11:07.121-05:002013-02-27T08:11:07.121-05:00Results are in line with the meta-analyses of pros...Results are in line with the meta-analyses of prospective cohorts and short term surrogate marker studies. Can you show the better data on any diet? <br /><br />Ornish diet may work well for some. But the fact is that as a clinician you run into problems if your only tool is the Ornish. Only handful of the patients you see are able to or willing to change the diet so dramatically. Plant based diets are the right path, anyway. Reijo Laatikainenhttp://www.pronutritionistblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-7130402760762537822013-02-27T07:32:24.056-05:002013-02-27T07:32:24.056-05:00Love your perspective, Alessandro. I've alway...Love your perspective, Alessandro. I've always had difficulty characterizing the Mediterranean diet, besides maybe the lack of fast food.Bixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06263963508785739508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-26296303059176658722013-02-27T02:41:44.845-05:002013-02-27T02:41:44.845-05:00Bix, I'm not sure that Mediterranean diet exis...Bix, I'm not sure that Mediterranean diet exist at all out of books and scientific papers. For example, there are many differences in the intake of different nutrients between people living here (Italy). For sure there is a common use of olive oil, brad and pasta. Meat and fish consumption is variable between individuals (and places depending on the distance from sea) and fruit and vegetable load too. To me, the term Med Diet refers more to the use of olive oil and cereals in the diet rather than a fixed balance between macronutrients including fish and meat. AlessandroAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-65035625631430735022013-02-26T19:05:02.131-05:002013-02-26T19:05:02.131-05:00I'm not sure!I'm not sure!Bixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06263963508785739508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-35651003488137040682013-02-26T18:18:43.645-05:002013-02-26T18:18:43.645-05:00Most reports didn't discuss the fruit and vege...Most reports didn't discuss the fruit and vegetable consumption on the Mediterranean diet and lack of red meat. The report noted "the traditional Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of olive oil, fruit, nuts, vegetables, and cereals; a moderate intake of fish and poultry; a low intake of dairy products, red meat, processed meats, and sweets; and wine in moderation, consumed with meals."<br /><br />I think the Mediterranean diet would be improved by reducing the amount of fat from any source including olive oil.<br /><br />I thought most of the media did a poor job of reporting this story and left the impression that a lot of olive oil, nuts and wine in the diet was a good thing. I think they did the public a great disservice. I suppose reporting fruits and vegetables are important in a healthy diet is not what the press thinks the public wants to hear. Just eat fat and be happy. Good PR for olive oil.RBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472697.post-79167892185620574942013-02-26T17:58:59.942-05:002013-02-26T17:58:59.942-05:00Are you sure that's olive oil? :)
shaunAre you sure that's olive oil? :)<br /><br />shauncaulfieldkidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05220688207706880140noreply@blogger.com