A new study by the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev found that the Green Mediterranean diet can significantly reduce the bad fat that builds up around internal organs!
What is the Green Mediterranean Diet?
The Green Mediterranean diet is an innovative and healthier way to enjoy the same Mediterranean cuisine. It emphasizes the intake of plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and olive oil. Enriched dietary polyphenols such as flavonoids are also included in the green Mediterranean diet. These polyphenols are plant compounds that provide many health benefits, such as reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. With its combination of increased plant-based foods and polyphenols, the green Mediterranean diet is a great way to enjoy Mediterranean eating habits and stay healthy.
The green Mediterranean diet eliminates red meat, processed foods, and added sugars. Instead, it encourages plant-based proteins such as vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, as well as fish and poultry in limited amounts.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev conducted a study on the Green Meditteranean diet
According to the study which was published in BMC Medicine, this diet has been found to significantly reduce visceral fat. And it performs better than other diets.
What is the difference between the Green Meditteranean Diet and the Meditteranean Diet?
The DIRECT-PLUS trial research team was the first to introduce the concept of the green-Mediterranean diet. This modified MED diet is further enriched with dietary polyphenols and lower in red/processed meat than the traditional healthy MED diet. On top of a daily intake of walnuts (28 grams), the participants consumed 3-4 cups of green tea/day and 100 grams (frozen cubes) of duckweed green shake/day. The aquatic green plant duckweed is high in bioavailable protein, iron, B12, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols and substituted meat intake.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
There are so many fad diets around these days, ranging from Vegan to Keto to Carnivore! It can be confusing when making your own personal eating choices.
This study sheds some light on the benefits of eating a mostly plant-based diet supplemented with a little fish and poultry.
What did the study reveal?
The study compared three different diets. The healthy diet, the Mediterranean diet, and the green Mediterranean diet.
Two hundred and ninety four participants took part in the 18-month long trial.
“A healthy lifestyle is a strong basis for any weight loss program. We learned from the results of our experiment that the quality of food is no less important than the number of calories consumed and the goal today is to understand the mechanisms of various nutrients, for example, positive ones such as the polyphenols, and negative ones such as empty carbohydrates and processed red meat, on the pace of fat cell differentiation and their aggregation in the viscera,” says Prof. Shai.
“A 14% reduction in visceral fat is a dramatic achievement for making simple changes to your diet and lifestyle. Weight loss is an important goal only if it is accompanied by impressive results in reducing adipose tissue,” notes Dr. Hila Zelicha.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
The green-MED group achieved a greater reduction in VAT than the other intervention groups
The Healthy Diet group achieved a 4.2% reduction in visceral fat
The Meditteranean Diet group achieved a 6% reduction in visceral fat
The Green Meditteranean Diet group achieved a 14.1% reduction in visceral fat
Why are these results important?
Visceral fat has a greater negative impact on health than other types of fat. Scientific evidence of a diet that performs better in reducing this type of bad fat can help consumers make better dietary choices based on facts.
This diet is an excellent choice for those looking to reduce their visceral fat and improve their overall health.
Read more > Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Read the Study > BMC Medicine
