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The Olive Oil Hunter News #109

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Rich and Hearty Chili Recipe, Grinding Your Own Meat, How to Boost the Gut Microbiome and The Risks of Shortchanging Yourself on Sleep

Cold winter nights demand soul-satisfying dishes, and this chili recipe really delivers. Rich spices and slow cooking give it depth of flavor—there’s also a health advantage of all those spices. While the answer to winter’s chill isn’t to hibernate, it pays to take a look at how much quality sleep you’re getting. Turns out the risks of poor-quality sleep are much greater than you might realize.

Rich and Hearty Chili

  • Rich and Hearty Chili Rich and Hearty Chili

    A mix of rich spices takes run-of-the-mill chili to a whole new level. You’ll need a few hours for the flavors to develop, but not a lot of active effort. And the results are more than worth it! If you prefer to start with dried beans, soak a total of two cups of your favorite variety or varieties and add them to the pot when you add back the cooked beef. Made with beans, this chili is a good source of important fiber as well as other nutrients.

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 large onions, diced
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 16 ounces baby portobello or white button mushrooms, sliced thin
    • 2 pounds ground beef, chicken, or turkey
    • 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
    • 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with liquid
    • 2 15-ounce cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
    • 2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
    • 3 bay leaves
    • 2 cinnamon sticks
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon each cayenne, allspice, and coarse salt
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider or sherry vinegar
    • Optional toppings for serving: diced raw onions, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and crushed corn or tortilla chips as desired

    Directions

    Step 1

    Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add the oil and then the onions and garlic. Cook over medium heat until soft. Add the mushrooms and sauté until soft. Add the ground meat in batches and cook until browned. 

    Step 2

    Push everything to the sides of the pot and add the tomato paste. Cook it until it turns a deep, brownish red and then fold it into the vegetables and meat. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. 

    Step 3

    Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for three hours, stirring every half hour. If the liquid is evaporating too quickly, place the lid ajar. Remove the bay leaves and serve with your choice of toppings. 

    Yields 8 hearty servings. 

Food Pairings: The Power of Purple Potatoes

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Grinding your own meat

Convenience rather than flavor is the reason to buy packaged ground meat at the market. Doing the grinding yourself allows you to choose your cut of beef (and fat content) or, in the case of chicken or turkey, your desired mix of light and dark meat. A home grinder, like the attachment made for the KitchenAid mixer, is great, but you can grind your own with the steel blade of a food processor using the pulsing function. The secret to a great grind is a chill-down for the meat and the grinder parts/processor blade. For meat in particular, this keeps more of the fat integrated and creates less fat smearing on the sides of the workbowl. 

Prep the meat by trimming as needed and then cutting it into 1-to-2-inch cubes. Place the cubes in a single layer on a sheet tray and pop it into the freezer along with your grinding blade for about 30 minutes—you want the meat cold and firm, but not frozen.

There’s no limit to how much meat you can run through a dedicated grinder. For the average size food processor, pulse about 8 ounces at a time; use a spatula to get out as much as possible before adding another batch. 

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Sweet spices for savory dishes

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Taking chili vegetarian

If you’d like to skip the meat, this chili recipe can easily adapt. For the same number of servings, increase the veggies and the beans by 25 percent and opt for the portobello mushrooms, prepping them into a ½-inch dice instead of slices. If you’d like to increase the protein content beyond what the beans offer, crumble 8 to 16 ounces of firm tofu into the pot when you add the beans. 

Healthy Kitchen Nugget: The Truth About Nondairy Milks

For Your Best Health

Boosting the gut microbiome

The human gut microbiome is a collection of trillions of microorganisms that live inside the intestinal tract. The bacteria there can affect nearly all systems of the body, including metabolism and the building and maintaining of the immune system.

In two separate studies done at Penn State, nutritional scientists looking at the effects of small changes to the average American diet found improvements to the gut microbiome when participants added a daily ounce of peanuts or about a teaspoon of herbs and spices to their intake.

“Research has shown that people who have a lot of different microbes have better health, and a better diet, than those who don’t have much bacterial diversity,” said Penny M. Kris-Etherton, PhD, Evan Pugh University Professor of Nutritional Sciences.

In the peanut study, published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, Dr. Kris-Etherton and colleagues compared the effects of snacking on 28 grams (about 1 ounce) of peanuts per day to those of a higher-carbohydrate snack of crackers and cheese. At the end of six weeks, participants who ate the peanut snack showed an increased abundance of Ruminococcaceae, a genus of bacteria linked to healthy liver metabolism and immune function.

In the herbs and spices study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, scientists analyzed the impact of adding blends of herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, cumin, turmeric, rosemary, oregano, basil, and thyme, to the controlled diets of participants at risk for cardiovascular disease. The team examined three doses: about 1/8 teaspoon per day, a little more than 3/4 teaspoon per day, and about 1-1/2 teaspoons per day. At the end of four weeks, participants showed an increase in gut bacteria diversity, including in Ruminococcaceae, most notably with the medium and high doses of herbs and spices.

“It’s such a simple thing that people can do,” said Dr. Kris-Etherton. “The average American diet is far from ideal, so I think everyone could benefit by adding herbs and spices. It’s also a way of decreasing sodium in your diet but flavoring foods in a way that makes them palatable and, in fact, delicious! Taste is really a top criterion for why people choose the foods they do.”

However, she pointed out that more research is needed to understand all the implications of diet and the workings of the gut microbiome itself. “We need a lot more research on the microbiome to see what its proper place is in terms of overall health,” she said.

Healthy Kitchen Nugget: The Value of Variety

Fitness Flash

The risks of shortchanging yourself on sleep

According to a new study that involved 7,000 men and women between the ages of 50 and 70, getting less than five hours of sleep in mid-to-late life could be linked to an increased risk of developing chronic diseases. Researchers from the University College London in the UK examined the relationship between how long each participant slept each night and whether they had been diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases (called multimorbidity), such as heart disease, cancer, or diabetes, over the course of 25 years.

People who reported getting five hours of sleep or less at age 50 were 20 percent more likely to have been diagnosed with a chronic disease and 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases over 25 years, compared to people who slept for up to seven hours. The researchers also found that sleep duration of five hours or less at age 50 was associated with 25 percent increased risk of mortality over the 25 years of follow-up: Short sleep duration increased the risk of chronic disease(s) that, in turn, increased the risk of death.

“Multimorbidity is on the rise in high income countries and more than half of older adults now have at least two chronic diseases. This is proving to be a major challenge for public health, as multimorbidity is associated with high healthcare service use, hospitalizations, and disability,” said Dr. Severine Sabia, lead author of the study. “As people get older, their sleep habits and sleep structure change. However, it is recommended to sleep for 7 to 8 hours a night as sleep durations above or below this have previously been associated with individual chronic diseases. To ensure a better night’s sleep, it is important to promote good sleep hygiene, such as making sure the bedroom is quiet, dark, and at a comfortable temperature before sleeping. It’s also advised to remove electronic devices and avoid large meals before bedtime. Physical activity and exposure to light during the day might also promote good sleep.”

As part of the study, researchers also assessed whether sleeping for a long duration, of nine hours or more, affected health outcomes. There was no clear association between long sleep duration at age 50 and multimorbidity in healthy people. However, for participants already diagnosed with a chronic condition, long sleep duration was associated with around a 35 percent increased risk of developing another illness. Researchers believe this could be due to underlying health conditions impacting sleep.

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The Olive Oil Hunter News #108

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Roasted Butternut Bisque Recipe and the Connection Between the Vibrant Taste of Virgin Olive Oil and Its Higher Health Benefits

All olive oil is not created equal. If you’re a long-standing Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club member, you know that I’m preaching to the choir, as the saying goes. As your Olive Oil Hunter, I not only search for the best of the best olive oils for you, but I also share the latest research on EVOO. Thanks to ongoing studies, we know that there are differences between run-of-the-mill olive oil and fresh-from-the-mill extra virgin olive oil. The latest findings come from a decade-long Spanish study, and it connects the dots between the vibrant taste of virgin olive oil and its higher health benefits. For a delicious way to get these benefits, here’s the perfect dish for cold winter days—a silky butternut squash soup.

Roasted Butternut Bisque

  • The Olive Oil Hunter News #108 Roasted Butternut Bisque

    This soup is hearty enough for a meal—just add salad and crusty bread. It’s equally delicious made with Hubbard squash when you can find it! You can also get creative with toppings—a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of pomegranate arils, and perhaps roasted and chopped nuts.

    Ingredients

    • One 2-pound butternut squash
    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
    • 1 large onion, diced
    • 2 large carrots, trimmed and sliced
    • 1 apple, such as Macoun or Gala, cut into chunks
    • 3 scallions, trimmed and sliced
    • 2 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium, more as needed
    • 2 tablespoons sherry
    • 1 cup milk
    • ½ teaspoon curry powder (optional)
    • Freshly ground white pepper

    Yields 4 servings

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 400°F. Slice the squash lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds (you may roast them separately for a crunchy snack). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle it with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place the squash halves, cut side down, on the parchment and roast for one hour or until a knife tip easily pierces the flesh. Let the squash cool while you continue with the recipe.

    Step 2

    Heat a large skillet until hot—a few drops of water sprinkled on the pan will sizzle when it’s ready. Add the rest of the olive oil, the onions, carrots, apple, and scallions; slow-cook until soft but not browned. Add the sherry and cook for another 10 minutes.

    Step 3

    Peel the skin from the squash and cut the squash into chunks. Working in batches as needed, place the squash, the other cooked ingredients, and the broth in a blender and process until smooth. Transfer the soup to a large saucepan and heat through before serving. Season with the curry powder, if desired, and a few pinches of pepper.

Healthy Kitchen Nugget: The Truth About Nondairy Milks

For Your Best Health

Make it extra virgin

From a taste perspective, we know that a peppery tickle is the key sign of fresh-pressed olive oil, oil is rich in polyphenols, the natural phytonutrients that impart olive oil’s health benefits. On the other hand, the more industrial an olive oil’s production, the less taste there is because, as a consequence, there are fewer polyphenols.

It’s interesting to note that quite a number of the studies that have been done on the Mediterranean diet, whose centerpiece is olive oil, didn’t qualify the type of olive oil in people’s diets when their eating habits were recorded or evaluated. The most recent study on olive oil’s benefits, conducted in Spain with 12,161 participants, confirms that this matters. 

This study: “Only virgin type of olive oil consumption reduces the risk of mortality: Results from a Mediterranean population-based cohort,” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, October 2022.

The background: “The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) represents the dietary pattern that was typically consumed among populations bordering the Mediterranean Sea. This pattern has been strongly and consistently associated with healthy aging and with a reduced risk of mortality, in addition to other health outcomes, such as a deduction in developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, and cancer. 

“The traditional MedDiet is characterized by a high intake of olive oil (OO), fruits, nuts, vegetables, and cereals; a moderate intake of fish and poultry; a low intake of dairy products, red meat, processed meats, and sweets; and a moderate consumption of wine at mealtimes.

“OO is not only the main culinary and dressing fat in Mediterranean countries, but also sets the MedDiet apart from other healthy dietary patterns. There is some observational evidence that OO may play a major role in explaining the associations of the MedDiet with a lower incidence of several chronic diseases, especially CVD. Virgin OO (the highest-quality variety, obtained by mechanical processes and rich in phenolic compounds), has shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-atherosclerotic properties as well as beneficial effects on endothelial function and blood pressure control.”

What we know from past studies: “In the five-year PREDIMED clinical trial, which randomized 7,447 older adults, cardiovascular and total mortality were respectively 38 percent and 10 percent lower among those assigned to a MedDiet supplemented with virgin OO (the goal was to consume 50 g [just under four tablespoons] or more per day) when compared to those assigned to a reduced-fat diet. In a subsequent observational analysis of the PREDIMED population, total OO consumption at baseline was associated with reduced total and cardiovascular mortality, but no significant association was found with cancer mortality. Likewise, in the preceding EPIC-Spain cohort study, both common (processed and refined) and virgin OO (unprocessed and unrefined) varieties were associated with a decreased risk of total and cardiovascular mortality but not with cancer mortality.

“In recent decades, OO has become more popular outside the Mediterranean countries, even in US population. [A] recent study conducted among 60,582 women from the Nurses’ Health Study and 31,801 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study has found an inverse association between OO consumption and risk of total and cause-specific mortality. Compared with those who never or rarely consume total OO, those in the highest category of OO consumption (>7 g/d) had 19 percent lower risk of total and CVD mortality and 17 percent lower risk of cancer mortality.

“In European cohorts, however, inconclusive results regarding OO consumption and mortality have been observed. Of note is that—except for the Spanish EPIC cohort and the PREDIMED trial—none of these studies reported the results broking down by main OO varieties. This distinction is important because refined OO has much lower levels of bioactive compounds than virgin OO and may therefore have fewer health benefits.

“Virgin OO contains much higher amounts of bioactive compounds like polyphenols, which have important biological properties. Thus, as interest grows in identifying the best source of fat for human health, studies on the impact of the main OO varieties on mortality as well as the consumption amount required to generate optimal protection are warranted.”

The aim of this study: “Evidence on the association between virgin olive oil and mortality is limited since no attempt has previously been made to discern about main olive oil varieties…we aimed to assess the associations between common and virgin OO consumption and long-term risk of death (all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality) in a large and representative sample of Spanish adults…recruited between 2008 and 2010 and followed up through 2019. Habitual food consumption was collected at baseline with a validated computerized dietary history.” 

The results: “In this representative sample of the Spanish adult population, while common OO was not associated with mortality, virgin OO was associated with a significant 34 percent reduction in all-cause and 57 percent cardiovascular mortality when comparing negligible consumption vs. ~20 g/day of consumption … This is the first study in which a clear benefit on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality has been observed for virgin OO but not for the common OO variety.” 

As the researchers concluded, “these findings may be useful to reappraise dietary guidelines” so that virgin olive oil is specifically suggested for better health. They also pointed out that their work did not find any effect from any type of olive oil on cancer mortality, though other studies, such as the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study they referenced, did find that virgin olive oil may have a protective effect lowering the risk for getting certain cancers. 

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The Olive Oil Hunter News #105

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Clam Cakes Remoulade Recipe, Spotlight on Canned Clams and Clam Juice, the Importance of Short Breaks and Physical Function

Clambake season may be over, but clam cakes are always on the menu. In fact, wild clams are available year-round. And they’re so easy to make with my easy-peasy recipe. I’m just as excited to share the results of research that shows the value of taking regular breaks from tasks—just 10 minutes for a refresh. Plus, with a nod to preventive care, another study found that there’s no time like the present to work on your “physical function.” Simply put, it’s the ease (or difficulty) with which you move in everyday ways. When physical function is poor in later years, it increases not only your risk for falling, but also for life-threatening heart events.

Clam Cakes Remoulade

  • Clam Cakes Remoulade Clam Cakes Remoulade

    These clam cakes come together in minutes. The remoulade sauce is a delicious garnish—use any leftovers as a flavorful sandwich spread. 

    Ingredients

    For the remoulade:

    • 1 cup high-quality mayonnaise
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    • 1 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Cholula or Sriracha
    • 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Obrycki’s or Old Bay
    • 1 large pickle spear, finely diced
    • 1 tablespoon pickle juice
    • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

    For the clam cakes:

    • 6 ounces of clams, freshly steamed or canned and drained
    • 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
    • 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
    • 1 stalk celery, trimmed and cut into chunks
    • 12 spicy corn tortilla chips, such as Garden of Eatin’ Red Hot Blues 
    • 1 cup white whole wheat flour, divided
    • 1/2 cup high-quality mayonnaise
    • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Cholula or Sriracha
    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

    Directions

    Step 1

    For the remoulade: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until needed.

    Step 2

    For the clam cakes: If you’re steaming fresh clams, reserve the juice they release for another recipe. If you’re using large cherrystones, use kitchen shears to cut them into pieces for easier processing. Pulse the clams, vegetables, and chips in a food processor until you get a fine dice. Transfer to a large bowl and fold in half the flour, the mayo, hot sauce, and parsley. Form into about 10 small or 6 large patties. 

    Step 3

    Place the rest of the flour in a pie plate. Heat a heavy skillet and then add the olive oil. Very lightly dip both sides of each patty into the flour, shake off any excess, and place in skillet. Cook until a light crust develops, about 5 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes.

    Step 4

    Transfer the clam cakes to a serving dish or individual plates. Top with dollops of the remoulade and pass more on the side. 

    Yields 3-4 servings

Food Pairings: The Power of Purple Potatoes

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Canned clams step in for fresh

You probably have cans of high-quality tuna in your pantry, but what about clams? Flavorful and sweet, canned clams deserve a place there too. For recipes from clam cakes to linguine with clam sauce, they’re a great alternative to fresh, and always having them on hand means you can pull together a meal in short order. Read labels and choose brands that state product of the US.

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Sweet spices for savory dishes

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Get these juices flowing

Fresh clam juice is a world apart from the bottled variety. So, whenever you steam fresh clams, save the liquid in your pot. Strain it through fine cheesecloth to move any grains of sand, and use within a few days or freeze in freezer-safe containers labeled with the date (use within a year). Clam juice works very well in seafood recipes that call for fish broth, from soups to stews to poached fish. Keep in mind that clam juice is naturally salty, thanks to the clam’s native habitat—the ocean. So, be sure to taste often when using it in a recipe; you can probably cut down on the amount of salt called for. 

Healthy Kitchen Nugget: The Truth About Nondairy Milks

For Your Best Health

Take 10…often

Are you bogged down by endless tasks at work? Taking short breaks rather than staying glued to your desk until the day’s done could give you a boost and lessen fatigue. That was the main finding of a research review done at the West University of Timisoara in Romania. Patricia Albulescu, PhD, and colleagues looked at 22 recent studies investigating the potential benefits of taking micro-breaks from assigned tasks. 

The tasks varied from one study to another and so did the types of breaks—physical breaks, relaxing activities, and more engaging activities, such as watching videos. Nonetheless, the scientists found an overall link between micro-breaks, higher levels of vigor, and lower fatigue in participants, suggesting that these work pauses may contribute to well-being. They also found that longer breaks tended to be linked to better performance, especially for creative or clerical tasks, though less so for more cognitively demanding tasks—longer breaks may be needed for recovery from them. The review was published in the journal PLOS One on August 31, 2022.

Healthy Kitchen Nugget: The Value of Variety

Fitness Flash

Physical function, not just fitness

Different from physical fitness (though definitely linked to it), physical function relates to mobility, assessing your walking speed, leg strength, speed of rising from a chair without using your hands, and balance. Research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that having lower physical function was independently associated with a greater risk of developing heart attack, heart failure, and stroke in people over age 65. 

“While traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, or diabetes are closely linked to cardiovascular disease, particularly in middle-aged people, we also know these factors may not be as predictive in older adults, so we need to identify nontraditional predictors for older adults,” says study senior author Kunihiro Matsushita, MD, PhD, an associate professor in the department of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Division of Cardiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. “We found that physical function in older adults predicts future cardiovascular disease beyond traditional heart disease risk factors, regardless of whether an individual has a history of cardiovascular disease.”

The researchers analyzed health data from 5,570 adults over an eight-year period. Using participants’ scores on the Short Physical Performance Battery, a test that measures various aspects of physical function, they were categorized as having low, intermediate, or high physical function. Here’s what they found:

  • Compared to adults with high physical function scores, those with low scores were 47 percent more likely to experience at least one cardiovascular disease event, and those with intermediate physical function scores had a 25 percent higher risk of having at least one cardiovascular disease event.
  • The association between physical function and cardiovascular disease remained after taking into account traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors such as age, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
  • The physical function score contributed to the risk prediction of cardiovascular disease outcomes beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors, regardless of whether individuals had a history of cardiovascular disease or were healthy.

“Our findings highlight the value of assessing the physical function level of older adults in clinical practice,” says study lead author Xiao Hu, MHS, a research data coordinator in the department of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “In addition to heart health, older adults are at higher risk for falls and disability. The assessment of physical function may also inform the risk of these concerning conditions in older adults.”

With falls being a major health threat in later years, what prevention steps are helpful? A 2022 American Heart Association scientific statement titles “Preventing and managing falls in adults with cardiovascular disease” advises medication adjustments, reassessing treatment plans, considering non-drug treatment options, and properly managing heart rhythm disorders. 

It’s never too soon (or too late) to start working on physical function. Talk to your doctor about balance exercises, yoga, tai chi, and other approaches that can help.

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The Olive Oil Hunter News #90

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Roasted Salted Almonds Recipe Plus the Research Behind the Mediterranean’s Diet Long-term Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Much research on the benefits of olive oil as part of the Mediterranean diet centered on preventing heart disease, or primary prevention. Now a team involved in one of those studies has examined whether this diet can also be helpful for secondary prevention, meaning for people who already have heart issues such as coronary heart disease (CHD). The health benefits of olive oil as a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet continue to shine through. Nuts also get high marks, so I’m sharing my favorite way to enjoy them.

Roasted Salted Almonds

  • 
Spicy Roasted Almonds Spicy Roasted Almonds

    Add some spice to the healthful nuts you’re snacking on. Roasted almonds also make a great addition to a charcuterie or cheese board. Feel free to substitute other nuts such as hazelnuts, cashews, walnut halves, or pistachios for the almonds. If you own a smoker, try smoke-roasting the nuts the next time you fire it up. 

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups whole skinless almonds (about 7 ounces)
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • Coarsely ground sea salt to taste
    • 1-1/4 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera) or ground cumin 

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 325°F. Put the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until they are evenly coated, then spread them out in a single layer. Roast the almonds until they are a light golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every five minutes. Drain on paper towels.

    Step 2

    Transfer the almonds to a bowl, season with salt and paprika, and toss to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

    Yields 6-8 servings

Fresh Pressed Olive Oil

For Your Best Health

A diet refresh for heart health

The study: “Long-term secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet and a low-fat diet (CORDIOPREV): a randomised controlled trial,” The Lancet, May 14, 2022.

For this study, Javier Delgado-Lista, MD, PhD, of the Universidad de Córdoba in Córdoba, Spain, and his team compare the effects of the Mediterranean diet to a low-fat diet, both of which are healthier than the typical Western diet. They randomly assigned 1,002 participants with CHD (60 percent of whom had already had one heart attack) to one diet or the other and monitored them over 7 years. In that time frame, both diets did well at preventing more heart events, which included heart attacks, ischemic stroke, peripheral artery disease, and cardiovascular-related death, but the Mediterranean diet had the edge. 

According to a report of the study written by TCTMD, a network of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, “Patients with CHD who ate a Mediterranean diet rich in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), fatty fish, and nuts had roughly a 25 percent lower risk of recurrent major adverse cardiovascular events…compared to those who stuck with a reduced-fat approach during 7 years of follow-up. 

“For the Mediterranean diet, participants consumed 35 percent of their calories from fat, mostly monounsaturated (22 percent) and polyunsaturated fat (6 percent). Protein made up 15 percent of the diet and the remaining calories were comprised of carbohydrates (< 50 percent). The diet included 40 to 60g of extra-virgin olive oil, three or more servings of especially fatty fish per week, and three or more servings of nuts per week, among other foods. Wine was optional, but if participants were habitual wine drinkers, it was capped at one to two glasses per day for women and men, respectively. 

“For the low-fat diet, less than 30 percent of calories were derived from fat, 15 percent from protein, and 55 percent or more from complex carbohydrates. Participants ate low-fat dairy two or three times per day and chose lean fish instead of fatty kinds. Nuts were limited, as was EVOO. Instead, the intervention recommended only 20 to 30g of sunflower or regular olive oil. Wine was not allowed. 

“No physical activity was prescribed, nor was any type of caloric restriction. To make sure patients adhered to the diet, they had face-to-face visits with dieticians, internists, or cardiologists every 6 months, group sessions every 3 months, and telephone calls every 2 months. In total, participants had at least 12 interactions with the study team each year.

“After 7 years of follow-up, there were 198 primary outcome events: 17.3 percent in the Mediterranean arm and 22.2 percent in the low-fat group. In the unadjusted and adjusted models, the Mediterranean diet was associated with a significantly lower risk of the primary endpoint. Adjusted for age and sex alone, eating the diet rich in EVOO, fatty fish, and nuts was associated with a 26.2 percent lower risk of the primary outcome. In the fully adjusted model, the Mediterranean diet lowered the risk of the primary outcome by 28.1 percent compared with the low-fat diet. The was no significant difference in the risk of any of the primary endpoint’s individual components.

“The observed reduction in risk was more pronounced among men than among women, who in fact saw no significant reduction in risk, although the researchers note that this might have been the result of insufficient power. Less than 18 percent of study participants were women, and future studies will be needed to determine if this observed sex-related difference is real. 

“Delgado-Lista said the results are straightforward: patients with ischemic heart disease should follow a Mediterranean diet. Find a professional to help you learn what the Mediterranean diet is and how to eat it, he said, ‘and always consume extra virgin olive oil as the main source of fat in that diet.’” 

Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Fitness Flash Icon

Fitness Flash

Brain boosts abound

Every day we learn more about protecting brain health and avoiding dementia. If you’re looking for all these breakthroughs in one place, look no further than the Alzheimer’s – The Science of Prevention series developed by neurologist David Perlmutter, MD, featuring more than 20 additional specialists from across the country. It originally aired on July 20, but you can catch it on a weekend replay from August 5 to 7.

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