Atlantic diet can help cholesterol, blast belly fat: study

nutrition

by tracy swartz

Hasta la vista, Mediterranean diet?

The Atlantic diet, which is not a bull but a traditional diet of northwestern Spain and northern Portugal, is said to reduce belly fat and improve HDL “good” cholesterol levels.

The diet consists of seafood, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, olive oil, dried fruit (especially chestnuts), milk, cheese, and moderate intake of meat and wine.

Research published last week JAMA Network Open followed more than 200 families in the rural Spanish community of A Estrada from March 2014 to May 2015.

121 families were instructed to follow an Atlantic diet and 110 families continued with a typical diet.

Atlantic Dieters learned about the new meal plan through three educational sessions and received additional support such as cooking classes, documentation, and food baskets.

Data on participants’ dietary intake, physical activity, drug use, and other variables were collected at the beginning of the study and after six months.

The Spanish researchers also measured waist circumference, triglyceride levels, HDL cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and fasting blood sugar levels.

These are the five contributing factors to metabolic syndrome, a group of diseases that increase the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke.

Of the 457 participants who did not have metabolic syndrome at the start of the study, 23 developed metabolic syndrome during the 6-month follow-up. Of these, 17 participants (7.3%) continued to follow a traditional diet, and 6 participants (2.7%) suffered from metabolic syndrome. I switched to the Atlantic Diet.

Of the 117 participants who met criteria for metabolic syndrome at the start of the study, 18 (28.6%) in the Atlantic diet group and 16 (29.6%) in the control group shed the label.

The researchers reported that the Atlantic diet “did not significantly affect hypertension, high triglyceride levels, or high fasting serum glucose levels,” but did improve waist circumference and HDL cholesterol levels.

“The Atlantic Diet has great potential for improving health because of its emphasis on nutritious meals and family-centered eating habits,” says R.D., a registered dietitian specializing in heart disease at EntirelyNourished.com. says Michelle Ruthenstein. I told Healthline.

“By prioritizing healthy ingredients and traditional cooking methods such as stews, this diet increases the bioavailability of nutrients, allowing the body to better absorb and utilize them.” she added.

Dr. Chen-Han Chen, a California-based interventional cardiologist who was not involved in the new study, said the results “because the diet is very similar to the well-studied and beneficial Mediterranean diet.” said it was not surprising.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, nuts, whole grains, and extra virgin olive oil, and avoids red meat, sweets, sugary drinks, and butter, while eating moderate amounts of fish, cheese, yogurt, and Consume wine.

The Spanish researchers also noted that the Atlantic diet “shares similarities” with the Mediterranean diet.

“These types of dietary patterns (Atlantic and Mediterranean diets) may reduce the risk and improve symptoms of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and even cognitive decline such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. there is. [gastrointestinal] function and the gut microbiome,” Tracy Crane, an associate professor at the University of Miami, told Healthline.

Research published in 2021 found that higher adherence to the Atlantic diet, also known as the Southern European Atlantic diet, was consistently associated with lower mortality risk.

The new study had some limitations, with the researchers acknowledging that “six months may not have been enough to adequately assess metabolic changes.” Our results could be strengthened by following participants over many years. ”