A healthy, Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease and early death in women.
This was shown by a new study by a team from the University of Sydney, published in the journal Heart, which studied data from 16 studies conducted between 2003 and 2021. The study reveals that women who adhere to the rules of the Mediterranean diet have almost 25 percent less chance of heart disease and early death.
The research included more than 700.000 women over the age of 18, mostly from the United States of America (USA) and Europe, and their cardiovascular health was monitored for an average of 12,5 years, the "New York Post" reports.
Data from the study show that strict adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 to 25 percent, especially coronary heart disease, and the risk of death from any cause by 23 percent.
US News & World Report has named the Mediterranean diet the best six times in a row. It is a diet that includes quality sources, whole grain cereals rich in nutrients, with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, along with proteins such as fish and chicken, and indispensable olive oil, rich in antioxidants.
Experts still don't have a clear answer as to why the Mediterranean diet is particularly beneficial for women, so further gender-related research is expected.
"The mechanisms that explain the sex-specific effect of the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular disease and death remain unclear. "Women-specific cardiovascular risk factors, including premature menopause, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes, or female-predominant risk factors, such as systemic lupus, may independently increase the risk of cardiovascular disease," said study author Sarah Zaman, Ph.D.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the US, according to the CDC. Data show that in 2020, heart disease was the cause of every fifth death in women.
Dr. Zaman says it's possible that preventive measures, such as the Mediterranean diet, which target risk factors for inflammation and cardiovascular disease, may have different effects in women compared to men.
An earlier Harvard University study found that the Mediterranean diet is one of four common healthy diets that can help reduce the risk of early death by up to 20 percent.
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