London - Eating a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil could help reverse symptoms which can lead to heart disease, research has revealed.
A study found people who followed a diet of fruit, vegetables, fish and whole grains, with either added olive oil or nuts, reduced their obesity and blood glucose levels – both symptoms of metabolic syndrome.
A low-fat diet did not have the same effect.
Metabolic syndrome – a combination of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity – affects a quarter of the world’s adult population, leaving them at a higher risk of heart disease and strokes.
Spanish researchers studied nearly 5 800 men and women aged 55 to 80 who were at risk of heart disease for nearly five years, the Canadian Medical Association Journal reports.
Some ate a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil, others ate a Mediterranean diet with added nuts and the rest ate a low-fat diet.
Both groups on Mediterranean diets decreased their obesity and blood sugar levels but the study suggested the olive oil-rich diet was the healthiest, as it appeared to prevent people accumulating fat around their waists, often a precursor to diabetes.
It is thought the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of olive oil, nuts and the fruit and vegetables in a Mediterranean diet could help the body metabolise glucose and lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes. - Daily Mail