Reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease with a Mediterranean diet

According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, a Mediterranean diet could dramatically lower your risk for metabolic syndrome. And this means you could lower your risk for some of the world’s top killers: Diabetes and heart disease.

The Mediterranean diet incorporates the basics of healthy eating, including fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains. It also includes a splash of flavourful olive oil and a glass of red wine and less unhealthy fats.

Here’s what the study found about the Mediterranean diet’s ability to lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease

Researchers say their analysis of 50 studies involving a combined 535,000 people finds that those who followed the diet closely had smaller waistlines, better blood pressure control, higher levels of HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides and better glucose levels than those who didn't follow the diet or tried to, but failed.

So what else is new?

Studies have consistently found that the Mediterranean diet is far better for health and weight loss than the high-carb, low-fat diet being pushed all over the world. And it’s certainly better than a diet of fast food and processed meals.

While the new study found that the Mediterranean diet worked best in the Mediterranean region, it can work just as well for you even if you’re not from there.

So “if you want to slash your disease risk, go the whole way and cut all your carbs, not just sugar at least until you reach a healthy weight, then you can add some of the better carbs back into your diet,” says Health Bytes. Good carbs includes whole-wheat pasta and wheat berries.

Well there you have it! Adopting the Mediterranean diet isn’t just good for preventing your heart disease and diabetes risk, it’s also part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.