Mediterranean Diet Tip: Include Healthy Fats

If you’re following a Mediterranean diet, enjoy the healthy fats in olive oil, nuts and salmon. A new study suggests eating monounsaturated fats may protect against breast cancer, diabetes and heart problems.

People who stuck to this plant-based diet and used olive or canola oil in their cooking had a lower risk for these diseases, according to researchers. They reviewed more than 55 studies.

“Healthy diets can include a lot of fat, especially if it’s healthy fat,” said Dr. Hanna Bloomfield, lead researcher of the study and associate chief of staff for research for the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. The findings appear in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Although there wasn’t a limit to how much fat people ate – the rule only applied to healthy fats such as monounsaturated fat. So nuts, avocados and vegetable oils are OK, but cheese, red meat and cakes are not.

Ask Registered Dietitian if Mediterranean Diet Can Help

Health authorities often praise the Mediterranean diet for its potential health benefits. Many studies suggest it improves cholesterol, reduces the risk of heart disease and breast cancer and keeps the brain sharp. Of course, it’s important to remember that everyone’s nutritional needs are different. People who have medical issues or conditions should consult a health provider or a Registered Dietitian to determine a healthy eating plan.

“If you’re trying to eat a healthy diet, one of the important things you should do is to include olive oil as your main cooking oil or salad oil and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables of different color,” Bloomfield said.

The Mediterranean diet often varies among people. Bloomfield said it should be based on plants with an emphasis on monounsaturated fats, in particular olive oil. People can also eat legumes, fish, fruits, vegetables, moderate amounts of red wine and very little meat and dairy products. It’s important to avoid refined grain products and added sugar.

“The main message of the study is that adherence to a Mediterranean diet can result in decrease in cardiovascular events and cancers and that the diet does not have to be low in fat,” Bloomfield said.

Healthy Fats Key to Mediterranean Diet

Allowing fat into your diet may seem odd. In fact, many Americans still buy certain foods strictly because they’re labeled nonfat, low fat or reduced fat.

“The emphasis in the United States – at least for the past 30 years – has been it’s important to reduce fat, fat of all kind, fat’s the bad thing,” Bloomfield said. “It turns out that the obesity epidemic in this country is probably more due to our increased consumption of refined grains and added sugar and not so much from our fat consumption.”

+ Learn more about healthy eating to meet your individual nutritional needs at Bon Secours In Motion. Our Registered Dietitians help people improve their health, manage type 2 diabetes and lose weight by changing their eating habits.