The Mediterranean Diet, Is It Better?

Better Than Plant-Based?

There is a diet that's been very popular for years and some people find that this diet is superior to the plant-based diet that many of you reading this likely subscribe to. Some champion that this diet is less-restrictive, delicious, nutritious, and just as healthy as eating whole-food plant-based and that diet is none other than the Mediterranean diet. Just the name Mediterranean evokes warm beaches, clean air, and a healthy olive-skinned couple enjoying a glass of wine by the water. It sounds romantic, but can this diet really compete with a plant-based diet? Let's look at how the whole-food plant-based diet we advocate compares to a Mediterranean diet when it comes to heart disease, as this is an area that the Mediterranean diet is supposed to excel in.

Oil, Friend or Foe?

One of the biggest differences between our whole-food plant-based diet and the Mediterranean diet is our abstinence from all oil while the Mediterranean diet advocates generous usage of oil, olive oil in particular. You can just smell the olive oil and pita bread now. It's definitely very enjoyable, but is oil actually heart-healthy, as its claimed to be? This study shows us the relationship between oil and butter and something called post-prandial hyperlipidemia AKA sludge blood. This is when your blood fills with so many fat cells that the blood becomes very thick, making your heart have to work harder to pump your blood through your blood vessels, causing stress to the heart and contributing to heart disease. Some may think that just sticking to olive oil may help but in this study we see that regardless of the type of oil used (palm, olive, etc.) any oil consumption produced an adverse effect in both triglyceride levels and endothelial function.

The Elephant in the Room

Another huge difference is in the very name of our diet, the fact that we do not consume meat is the most fundamental aspect of the whole-food plant-based diet. Obviously, this is not so in the Mediterranean diet that recommends liberal usage of fish and chicken, with red meat in moderation. This begs the question of which is better for us, moderate consumption of meat, or no consumption of meat? We find in this study that consumption of unprocessed red meat increased risk of ischemic heart disease by 9% while consumption of processed meat increased the risk by 18%. In another study, we see the risk of heart disease and all-cause mortality is heightened for both red meat and poultry eaters. Fish appears to have little, if any, adverse relationship with heart disease, but fish has its own unique problem in that its often contaminated with heavy metals such as mercury. Again, a plant-based dietary approach looks to be the safest and healthiest.

Your Safest Bet

It seems clear that the Mediterranean diet is far from the worst option out there and is markedly superior to the Standard American Diet (SAD). However, it is also clear that is is not the safest or the healthiest diet to practice, especially when there is a better option: whole-food plant-based. In this adventist study we see that the less animal products people consumed, the better their cardiovascular health got, and the lower their risk of cancer got. Moderate meat consumption and olive oil is better than heavy meat consumption and soy bean oil, but watch the massive improvements you'll notice when you have NO meat and NO oil. I think you'll be blown away by the results.

God Bless,
Mercy Ballard