User:Jyu331/Mediterranean Diets vs Vegan Diets

Foods included in a mediterranean diet.

A Mediterranean diet includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, bread and other grains, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds, olive oil as a primary fat source, and dairy products, eggs, fish and poultry in low to moderate amounts. Fish and poultry are more common than red meat in this diet. It also centers on plant-based foods which are minimally processed. Wine is often consumed in low to moderate amounts, usually with meals. Fruits are the common dessert instead of sweets. Veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products, and all other animal-derived ingredients. A vegan diet includes all grains, beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and all the foods made by combining them.

Typical vegan meal.

Diets are one of the most important factors in determining someone's health. In order to have good health, a healthy diet is needed. Healthy diets protect people against many chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, are essential for a healthy diet. A Mediterranean and vegan diet are only two of the endless amounts of healthy diets.

History

Ancel Keys at a press conference in Gioia, Tauro.

The Mediterranean diet was originally developed to reflect the idea of food patterns typical of Crete', and the rest of Greece and Italy in the early 1960s. The Mediterranean diet was first publicized in 1975 by Ancel Keys, an American biologist, and Margaret Keys, chemist. But the diet failed to gain widespread recognition until the 1990s. The first showing that proved the Mediterranean diet was healthy came from the results of epidemiological studies in Naples and Madrid that was later confirmed by Seven Countries Study in 1970. It actually wasn't until the mid 1990s, when Walter Willet and his colleagues of Harvard University's School of Public Health presented what is known as the most commonly understood version of the diet.

The history of the vegan diet is quite unique. It first started out with the term vegetarian. The first vegetarian society was formed in 1847 in England. Then in 1850, Rev. Sylvester Graham co-founded the American Vegetarian Society. Graham was a Presbyterian minister and his followers obeyed his instructions for a virtuous life: vegetarianism, temperance, abstinence, and frequent bathing. Much later, in November 1944, Donald Watson, a British woodworker, announced that because vegetarians ate dairy and eggs, he was going to create a new term called “vegan,” to describe people who did not. In addition, tuberculosis had been found in 40% of Britain’s dairy cows the year before, so Watson used this to his advantage, claiming that it proved the vegan lifestyle protected people from diseases. By the time Watson died at age in 2005 at age 95, there were 250,000 self-identifying vegans in Britain and 2 million in the U.S.

What are people looking for?

According to the Business Insider, 1,037 people were surveyed about their New Year's resolutions. Of the survey sample's millennials, which are people between the ages of 19 and 29, 119 said their resolution for 2019 is related to dieting or eating healthier. Scientists say one of the most effective ways to lose weight is participating in most reasonable diets. The most popular choice was a low-carb diet — 31.1% of millennials expressed interest in it because it helps with weight loss. Another 23.5% of millennials said they would like to go on a reduced-calorie diet. This is because recent studies have found that eating fewer calories could help people live longer. About 15.1% of respondents said they would like to go on a low-fat diet in 2019. People on a low-fat diet eat lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and grains and they avoid full-fat dairy and meat products. Millennials these days tend to go for the more healthy diets with low carb, low fat, low sugar intake and all these categories fit under what make of a Mediterranean diet or Vegan diet.

Dietary Choices on Health

Foods that contain a lot of sodium, sugar, salt.

It is commonly known that what people consume affects their health. A study was conducted and the results of this study proves this point exactly: almost half of deaths in one year were caused by heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. A large group of the Americans studied consumed anything and everything and was linked with a poor diet. Researchers from Tufts University, The University of Cambridge - England, and Montefiore Medical Center analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They examined the number of deaths of more than 700,000 people in 2012 from heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. They also examined ten dietary factors among the population that include consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, processed meats and sodium intake. Their analysis showed that about 45% of the deaths were linked to unhealthy eating habits heavy on foods and nutrients that have long been associated with influencing cardiovascular and metabolic health. Increased risk of death from diabetes was associated with consuming more processed meats and sugar-sweetened drinks, and not enough whole grains. The food linked to the most deaths overall was salt. This goes to show that people cannot just eat anything they want; there are benefits and consequences to foods they consume.

Health Benefits

Mediterranean Diet

A traditional mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of serious mental and physical health problems by:

Mediterranean diet food pyramid.

Preventing heart disease and strokes: A mediterranean diet limits the intake of processed breads, foods, and red meat. It also encourages drinking red wine instead of hard liquor, which are all factors that can help prevent heart disease and stroke.

Keeping you agile: The nutrients gained and absorbed with a mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of developing muscle weakness and other signs of frailty by about 70% especially for older people.

Reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s: Research suggests that the mediterranean diet may improve cholesterol, blood sugar levels, and overall blood vessel health, which in turn may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Halving the risk of Parkinson’s disease: The Mediterranean diet contains high levels of antioxidants that can prevent cells from undergoing a damaging process called oxidative stress. This in turn cuts the risk of Parkinson’s disease by 50%.

Increasing longevity: By deceasing the chances of developing heart disease or cancer with the Mediterranean diet, the risk of death at any age is decreased by 20%.

Protecting against type 2 diabetes: The Mediterranean diet is rich in fiber which digests slowly, prevents huge swings in blood sugar.

Vegan Diet

A traditional vegan diet can reduce the risk of serious mental and physical health problems by:

Providing richer nutrients: A vegan diet tends to provide more fiber, antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds. They also appear to be richer in potassium, magnesium, folate and vitamins A, C and E which are all nutrients vital to the body.

Helping with weight loss: Many observational studies show that vegans tend to be thinner and have lower body mass indexes (BMIs) than non-vegans.

Lowering blood sugar levels: Vegans tend to have lower blood sugar levels, higher insulin sensitivity and up to a 50–78% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Protecting against certain cancers: Vegans generally eat considerably more legumes, fruit and vegetables than non-vegans. This may explain why a recent review of 96 studies found that vegans may benefit from a 15% lower risk of developing or dying from cancer.

Lowering risk of heart disease: Observational studies comparing vegans to vegetarians and the general population report that vegans may benefit from up to a 75% lower risk of developing high blood pressure which lowers the chances of heart disease.

Reducing pain from arthritis: Those on the vegan diet reported higher energy levels and better general functioning than those who didn't change their diet.

Health Challenges

Mediterranean Diet

Types of seafood in a Mediterranean Diet.

There aren't many consequences to this well balanced diet as there are only slight challenges. One challenge it seems to have is its costliness of the food ingredients. Though there are not pricey branded foods or special supplements, some consumers do worry about the cost of including fish regularly. Seafood tends to be more expensive than other proteins. However, there are several ways to shop on a budget. Another challenge it seems to bring up is additional guidance may be needed especially for people with diabetes. Because this diet is heavy on grains, fruits, and vegetables, meals may be high in carbohydrates. It’s important for people with diabetes to eat a consistent, controlled amount of carbohydrates throughout the day to avoid blood sugar spikes. This just means that people should work with their dietitian to get the right amount of carbohydrate count that is needed.

Vegan Diet

Likewise to the Mediterranean diet, the Vegan diet does not have many challenges that it can be associated with. But for one, Vegan diets are lacking in some vital nutrients. Unfortunately, a diet that excludes all animal products does have some nutritional drawbacks. Nancy Rodriguez, a nutritional science professor at University of Connecticut, says calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B-12 and folate—all of which are present in meat and dairy—are all key ingredients that lack in a vegan diet. Over time, inadequate consumption of these can result in a host of problems, including loss of bone and muscle mass, she says. The reduced or even non-existent levels of vitamin B-12 in a strict vegan diet are of particular concern to her. Vitamin B-12 has many implications for the smooth running of the central nervous system and for optimizing metabolic functions and in her view, it’s very difficult to get adequate amounts of B-12 from fruits and vegetables alone.

Further Research

Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet

Estruch R, The New England Journal of Medicine, 2013

In this study, Estruch gathered 7447 individuals at a high cardiovascular risk and they were randomized to either a Mediterranean diet with added olive oil, a Mediterranean diet with added nuts, or a low-fat control group. This study went on for 4.8 years. In this study, researchers primarily looked at the risk of heart attack, stroke and death from cardiovascular causes. The results were gathered and it was found that the risk of combined heart attack, stroke and death from cardiovascular disease was reduced by 30% in the Med + Olive Oil group, and 28% in the Med + Nuts group. Therefore, it was concluded that a Mediterranean diet with either olive oil or nuts may reduce the combined risk of stroke, heart attack and death from cardiovascular disease.

Reduction in the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes with the Mediterranean Diet: Results of the PREDIMED-Reus nutrition intervention randomized trial

Salas-Salvado J, Diabetes Care, 2011

In this study, 418 non-diabetic participants in the PREDIMED study were assessed after 4 years, looking at their risk of having developed type 2 diabetes. They were either given a Mediterranean diet or a low-fat control group. It turned out that 10 and 11% of the individuals in the Mediterranean diet groups became diabetic, compared to 17.9% in the low-fat control group. The Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 52%. In conclusion, a Mediterranean diet without calorie restriction appears to be effective in preventing the development of type 2 diabetes.

A Two-Year Randomized Weight Loss Trial Comparing a Vegan Diet to a more Moderate Low-Fat Diet

Turner-McGrievy, G., Obesity, 2007

This study was based on the same 64 overweight women and they were randomly assigned to a low-fat vegan or a low-fat NCEP (National Cholesterol Education Program) diet for 14 weeks. This study was done in two cohorts. All participants were offered weekly group nutrition support for the first 14 weeks of the study. However, the first cohort didn't receive any nutritional support after the first 14 weeks, whereas the rest continued with bimonthly support group meetings for one year. This study was continued for 2 years and all women were followed. No participant was prescribed any calorie restriction goals, and both groups were encouraged to eat until they were full. The results were gathered and the vegan group lost 10.8 lbs after one year, compared to 4 lbs in the NCEP group. Over the next year, both group regained some weight. At the end of the two-year study, the weight loss was 6.8 lbs in the vegan group and 1.8 lbs in the NCEP group. Regardless of the diet assignment, the women who received group support sessions lost more weight than those who didn't receive them. It was concluded that women on a low-fat vegan diet lost more weight after one and two years, compared to those following a low-fat diet. Also, women receiving group support were better able to lose weight and maintain it.

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