After looking at nearly 200 studies that included millions of people, there are still some questions about how some foods affect the heart. Researchers found vegetables, nuts and the Mediterranean diet made the list of foods that are heart-healthy, while the list of foods bad for the heart featured starchy carbs like white bread and trans fats, which are in many cookies and French fries. But the study says there is no strong evidence yet about whether foods like meat, eggs and milk are good or bad for the heart.

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You’ve probably heard how a Mediterranean-style diet can be good for your heart. Now a new report in the Archives of Neurology finds eating a diet filled with vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and fish – foods common in the Mediterranean-style diet – is also good for the brain and may help prevent dementia.

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We’ve disspelled myths about nuts here: (Are nuts fattening?) and talked about how they can help you meet your fiber needs here: (Fill up on fiber). Now new research shows eating a handful of nuts every day for a year – along with a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish - may help reverse several risk factors for heart disease. The study – in the Archives of Internal Medicine – finds nut eaters didn’t lose weight, on average, but more of them were able to reduce belly fat and improve their cholesterol and blood pressure.

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*Note to self* – eat more vegetables, nuts, and fish. And now is a good time to do it. A new report says if you stick closely to a Mediterranean-style diet, it dramatically reduces your risk of cancer, heart disease, and other major chronic illnesses.

The diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, grains, and healthy fats like olive oil and it’s low in red meat, dairy products and alcohol. It also includes, nuts, beans, and seeds.

Scientists analyzed the results of 12 major studies that looked at more than 1.5 million people. They found the chance of developing all types of cancer was six percent lower in those who followed the Mediterranean diet, being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease went down 13-percent, and the likelihood of dying overall dropped nine percent.

The study is published on bmj.com

I tend to eat a lot of the foods in the Mediterranean diet, but I often have chicken and turkey too… and of course, the “occasional” gourmet chocolate. How about you – what’s your eating style?

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And the winner is… a three-way tie between the low-fat, low-carb, and Mediterranean diets??? A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows all three have similar amounts of modest weight loss. But the debate rages on…

Researchers found after two years, dieters lost an average of 7.3 pounds on the low-fat plan, 10 pounds on the Mediterranean diet, and 12 pounds on a mostly vegetarian version of the low-carbohydrate Atkins diet.

But wait… it doesn’t stop there. In this article from Newsweek, Dr. Dean Ornish says the research has some serious flaws. He makes some pretty interesting points including that the study was partly funded by the Atkins Research Foundation.

The study also highlights how hard it is to lose weight and the fact that most diets do not work well. It really has to be about making permanent changes that will last a lifetime – small changes are the way to do it, in my opinion.

After covering all these diet debates for years, I don’t think they’re ever going to end. Trust me, we haven’t heard the last of this yet.

Photo Credit: stock.xchng

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