A study published in the journal Heart reveals that the "greener" version of the Mediterranean diet, which includes more plant matter and far less red meat and poultry than the conventional version, could be significantly more heart-healthy, particularly among men.
The Mediterranean diet has been linked to a lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes in various studies. Its impact is thought to be linked to a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as a reduction in red meat consumption.
Researchers wanted to see if a green Mediterranean form of this diet, with more green plant food sources and less red meat consumption, could be even healthier.
A total of 294 sedentary and mildly obese people (BMI of 31) with an average age of 51 were randomly allocated to one of three dietary groups.
The first group received tips on how to improve physical activity and how to eat a healthy diet.
The second group received the same physical activity guidelines as the first, as well as calorie-restricted Mediterranean diet recommendations (1500-1800 kcal/day for men and 1200-1400 kcal/day for women). It was low in simple carbs, abundant on veggies, and red meat was replaced with poultry and fish. It contains 28 grams of walnuts each day.
The third group was given directions for physical activity as well as suggestions for following a similar calorie-restricted green Mediterranean diet.
This included 28 g of walnuts per day, the avoidance of red/processed meat, and increased concentrations of plant matter. It also included 4 cups of green tea per day and 100 g of frozen cubes of Wolffia globosa (cultivated Mankai strain), a high protein form of aquatic plant duckweed, taken as a green plant-based protein shake to substitute animal protein.
The effects of each diet on weight loss, cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors were assessed after six months. Both types of Mediterranean diet lost more weight: green Mediterranean lost 6.2 kg, Mediterranean lost 5.4 kg, and balanced diet lost 1.5 kg.
The average waist circumference of individuals following the green Mediterranean diet shrank by 8.6 cm, compared to 6.8 cm for those following the Mediterranean diet and 4.3 cm for those following a balanced diet.
The green Mediterranean diet group experienced a greater reduction in 'bad' low-density cholesterol of 6.1 mg/dl, or nearly 4%. The Mediterranean diet group had a similar estimate of 2.3 mg/dl (almost 1%), while the healthy diet group had a similar estimate of 0.2 mg/dl.
It was determined how much weight was lost, as well as cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors. Green Mediterranean dieters dropped 6.2 kg, Mediterranean dieters 5.4 kg, and balanced dieters 1.5 kg.
"Our findings suggest that additional restriction of meat intake with a parallel increase in plant-based, protein-rich foods, may further benefit the cardiometabolic state and reduce cardiovascular risk, beyond the known beneficial effects of the traditional Mediterranean diet," the team concluded.
