A new study shows that the Nordic diet reduces blood sugar and cholesterol even when no weight is lost.
Most people think that positive effects on blood sugar and cholesterol are due to weight loss. Other mechanisms are involved.
The Mediterranean diet is highly recommended for good health, but it is not always practical for people in other regions of the world to eat it.
The concept of a healthy regional diet has been developed using food items that are easily available in the region.
The Nordic diet has a lot of similarities to the Mediterranean diet, with an emphasis on plant-based foods and moderate amounts of fish and eggs.
Both limit processed foods, but the Nordic diet favors canola oil over olive, which has some healthy Omega 3 fatty acids similar to those found in fish.
Fruits and vegetables, whole-grain cereals, and fish are included.
Observational studies suggest that following the Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and overall mortality.
In the new study, Dragsted and colleagues analyzed regular blood and urine samples from 200 overweight volunteers over the age of 50 who ate their usual diet for four weeks.
Half of the participants followed the Nordic diet and the other half followed a control diet during the 19 to 24 weeks that they did it again. The volunteers kept a stable weight with the calculated diet.
The group that had been on the Nordic diet for six months became significantly healthier, Dragsted said.
Patients who benefited most from the diet change had differences in fat-soluble substances.
The Nordic diet has higher levels of Omega 3 and Omega 6 in its fat composition, which is believed to explain the health effects of the diet even when the weight of participants remains constant.
These fats come from fish, flaxseeds, sunflower, and canola oil, but how they influence both blood sugar and cholesterol levels is still to be investigated.
We can confirm that the absence of highly processed food and less saturated fats from animals have a positive effect on us.
Researchers stress that weight loss is important, but that it is not the only factor that contributes to the benefits of the Nordic diet.
A huge, long-term study of 79,000 people revealed those who mostly stuck to the diet had better mortality outcomes regardless of their weight.
A study done in the year of 2018 indicated that focusing on types of foods rather than portions can be a more sustainable method for weight loss. The quality of foods you can afford may affect how effective a diet is.
It's better to focus on healthy food choices than it is to shame ourselves over our weight.
Clinical Nutrition published this research.
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