A Mediterranean Diet Can Improve Health, Including a lowering of the Risk for Diabetes
Some people consider
the Mediterranean area to be the cradle of
civilization, and here is where the Mediterranean
diet is said to have its roots.
The foundation of the diet consists of fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. Olive
oil is used in place of butter and salt is replaced
with herbs and spices. Olive oil is highly valued in
the diet. Red meat is consumed only infrequently,
while fish and poultry are eaten frequently.
The diet has been proven to be a healthy eating
regimen. And past research found that the
Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of diabetes.
Diabetes
is a chronic disease that occurs when the sugar in
the blood is too high. The body makes insulin, and
the insulin is used to remove the sugar from the
blood and take the sugar to cells, which use the
sugar for energy. Diabetes results from a break
-down of the insulin-sugar process. People generally
have one of three types of diabetes. There is type 1
diabetes, where the body does not make enough
insulin. There is type 2 diabetes, where the body
makes insulin, but it may not be enough to keep the
body healthy. And then there is gestational
diabetes. This type of diabetes occurs during
pregnancy. But it usually goes away after the
pregnancy.
Type 2 diabetes, the most common kind of diabetes,
is usually associated with family history or an
unhealthy lifestyle. And an unhealthy lifestyle
often includes an unhealthy diet. The Mediterranean
diet is one of the most studied diets, and the diet
has been found to be beneficial to our mental and
physical health. For example, the Mediterranean diet
is associated with healthy
brain function, and a lowering
of the risk of metabolic syndrome.
And a meta-analysis, reported on in 2022, showed
that following a Mediterranean diet (MD) can lower
the risk of diabetes. In fact, the researchers
indicated that "Even
modest adherence to the MD was linked to a
decreased incidence of type 2 diabetes."
Therefore, the Mediterranean diet has again proven
to be an important dietary weapon for maintaining
good health.
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