The Mediterranean diet, which recommends olive oil instead of butter and margarine, chicken and poultry instead of red meat, and plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in women, according to new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The study followed more than 25,000 women who were part of the Women’s Health Study. The researchers found that women who followed the Mediterranean diet had 25% less risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the course of 12 years compared with women who didn’t adhere to the diet.
In a December 7, 2018 Kaiser Health News article, Shafqat Ahmad, lead author of the study and a research fellow in Harvard Chan School’s Department of Nutrition, said that the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease appears to be linked to changes in inflammation, blood sugar, and body mass index that accompany the diet.
Read the Kaiser Health News article: Even When Not In Rome, Eat A Mediterranean Diet To Cut Heart Disease Risk
Learn more
Widely studied Mediterranean diet linked to good health (Harvard Chan School news)
Diet Review: Mediterranean Diet (Nutrition Source)