Meet the Atlantic diet: The Mediterranean diet’s neighbor—with an added benefit.
Story by Lindsey Leake
Is the Atlantic Diet the New Mediterranean? (msn.com)
You’re probably familiar with the myriad benefits of the Mediterranean diet: reduced inflammation, healthy brain aging, and more. But the similar Atlantic diet offers its own advantages, according to a new study conducted in Spain.
Researchers at the University of Santiago de Compostela discovered a link between the Atlantic diet and a reduced risk of developing metabolic syndrome—a group of conditions that together heighten your risk of serious health problems such as heart disease.
The findings were published this month in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Amid the global obesity epidemic, one nutrition expert who wasn’t involved in
the research tells Fortune the study’s lack of attention to calorie counting is important.
“They showed that just focusing on what you eat, without focusing on how much you eat, can pretty significantly improve your health,” says Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University.
“People think, ‘If I change my diet and I don’t lose weight, I’m failing,’ and that’s a mistake. “You can substantially change your health—without changing your weight but by changing your diet—for better and for worse.”
What is metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome, also called insulin resistance syndrome, is a blanket term for a set of risk factors that collectively increase your chances of developing more precarious medical conditions including stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.
Having at least three of the following constitutes metabolic syndrome:
High blood triglycerides, which can raise “bad” (LDL) cholesterol.
Low “good” (HDL) cholesterol (While Staying Active Builds HDL.)
Abdominal, or central, obesity.
High blood sugar levels.
High blood pressure.
It’s no surprise these well-established indicators would be most sensitive to a healthy diet, Mozaffarian says.
Whereas drugs have a specific target, “nutrition pretty much affects every pathway in the body,” he says. “It’s the accumulated benefits across all those pathways that make a difference.”
About a third of U.S. adults have metabolic syndrome, which is largely preventable, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
What can you eat on the Atlantic diet?
The study refers to the Atlantic diet as “the traditional dietary pattern in northwestern Spain and Portugal, which is composed of home-cooked local, fresh, and minimally processed seasonal products.”
Researchers note a high intake of these foods as a hallmark of the diet:
Cheese
Chestnuts
Dried fruits
Milk
Seafood
Starches, mainly bread and potatoes
A moderate consumption of meat and wine is highlighted as another differentiation between the Atlantic and Mediterranean diets. The eating styles share a high consumption of:
Beans
Fruits
Olive oil
Vegetables
Whole grains
Atlantic diet vs. Mediterranean diet
Beyond the bounds of the study, however, the Atlantic and Mediterranean diets are virtually the same, says Sander Kersten, Ph.D., director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, who wasn’t affiliated with the research.
“You focus on minimally processed foods, lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, olive oil, and those kinds of things,” Kersten tells Fortune. “[The Atlantic] diet could be slightly higher in meat compared to the Mediterranean diet but, again, there’s no hard data to go by that defines and directly compares these two diets.”
Because the Atlantic Ocean is far bigger than the Mediterranean Sea and abuts several European countries alone, a true Atlantic diet would encompass more variation than the study suggests, Kersten says.
Previous research has referred to the eating regimen of the northwestern Iberian Peninsula as the Southern European Atlantic Diet. A 2021 review in the journal Minerva Endocrinology called it “more than a diet, it is a lifestyle where exercise, simple cooking techniques, respect for traditions, and pleasure of eating accompanied are constants.”
This eating style is also known as the Galician Atlantic diet; the autonomous community of Galicia is located in northwestern Spain.
The Mediterranean diet has been well-studied, and even recognized by Unesco as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This has led to confusion and frustration among regions and communities whose eating habits are just as nutritious, such as Japan’s Okinawa diet, Mozaffarian says.
“What we have discovered as nutrition scientists is that it’s not the Mediterranean diet,
per se, that’s healthy, but the principles of what constitutes it,” Mozaffarian says. “There’s different cultural ways to get to that same healthy diet, and the principles are here in this paper: minimally processed, fiber-rich, and bioactive-rich plant foods.”
How was the Atlantic diet studied?
This latest research is a secondary analysis of the Galicia Atlantic Diet study, a randomized clinical trial performed from 2014-15 in rural northwestern Spain. Subjects included 518 adults ages 18-85 across 231 families—all of Spanish ethnicity, Caucasian descent, and “moderate socioeconomic and educational levels.” Participants were 60% female, with an average age of 47. People with select conditions including dementia, pregnancy, and alcoholism were excluded.
People in the control group didn’t change their eating habits.
Those in the dietary intervention group not only received regular food baskets but also benefited from a cooking class, written materials, and three nutrition education sessions. The amount of food they consumed was unrestricted. Variables including medication use and physical activity were recorded for both groups.
After six months, people who had adhered to the Atlantic diet showed a 68% reduction
in risk of developing metabolic syndrome compared to those who didn’t alter their diet. People in the dietary intervention group also were 42% less likely to have an additional component of metabolic syndrome than those in the control group. In addition, the dieters showed a reduced risk of abdominal obesity and low “good” cholesterol.
The Atlantic diet didn’t have a significant effect on high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, or high blood triglycerides. And while some participants from each group had metabolic syndrome at the beginning of the study but not the end, the diet wasn’t associated with a reduced risk in disease prevalence.
“What [the study] suggests is that adherence to the Atlantic diet—which is essentially the Mediterranean diet—can help people improve their health,” Kersten says.
“In principle, that’s not a message that is new.”
Citing environmental health as a key component of the study, the researchers also found that the dietary intervention group didn’t have a significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to the control group. Even so, carbon emissions are just one indicator of environmental impact, Kersten notes, opening the door to future study.
“Water use or land use [gives] an idea of how sustainable a diet is, or how well a diet conforms to our sustainability goals that we’ve set forth in the world,” he says.
For more on the Mediterranean diet:
Eating a Mediterranean diet could reduce your risk of dementia and lead to a longer life. Here’s how to get started
A new study on the Mediterranean diet offers the strongest proof yet that it’s associated with healthy brain aging
The 4 best diets for healthy aging that experts say will keep your brain sharp and your body healthy
The 9 best foods for high blood pressure
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
The Blue Zones are areas of the world where people live longer and healthier lives1 2.
The Six Blue Zones are:
Loma Linda California blue zone – Search (bing.com)
Home to a large community of Seventh Day Adventists, a religious group that typically follows a vegetarian diet Loma Linda, California, is a Blue Zone, which is a term for a region where people live longer than average 1 2 . Loma Linda is home to a large population of Seventh-day Adventists, who follow a healthy lifestyle that includes a semi-vegetarian diet, exercise, avoid alcoholic beverages and promote community involvement 1. Loma Linda is a small, affluent community, located about 65 miles east of Los Angeles 2 .
Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica – A Magical Destination
Separated from the mainland by the Tempisque estuary and the Gulf of Nicoya, Nicoya is home to some of the most immaculate and spectacular beaches in Costa Rica including Santa Teresa, Malpais and Montezuma. Water sports are huge in the Nicoya Peninsula and many surfers consider it the best place to surf in the world. Eco-tourism is also popular here. Tourists and locals alike flock to the Nicoya Peninsula to explore caves, spot wild birds and visit the Cabo Blanco Reserve. It is estimated that Nicoyans are twice as likely to reach the age of 90 years old than North Americans1 2.
Sardinia Italy Blue Zone – Search (bing.com)
Sardinia is an Italian island that has one of the world’s largest populations of centenarians and residents thriving over the age of 90 1 2 3 . It is a Blue Zone, a geographical area where people live longer, healthier, and happier lives 345. Sardinia’s Blue Zone is mainly concentrated in the mountainous regions, where the ratio of male to female centenarians is about even, unlike other places where women outnumber men 4 5 . The reasons for Sardinia’s longevity are a combination of lifestyle factors, location isolation, and genetics 5.
Ikaria Greece blue zone – Search (bing.com) Today, Ikarians are almost entirely free of dementia and some of the chronic diseases that plague Americans; one in three make it to their 90s. A combination of factors explain it, including geography, culture, diet, lifestyle and outlook. They enjoy strong red wine, late-night domino games and a relaxed pace of life that ignores clocks. Clean air, warm breezes and rugged terrain draw them outdoors into an active lifestyle. 1.
Ikaria, Greece, is one of the world’s Blue Zones where people live longer than average. Residents nap often, drink herbal tea, and value family. (msn.com)
Okinawa Japan blue zone – Search (bing.com) Okinawa, Japan The islands at the southern end of Japan have historically been known for longevity, once called the land of immortals. Okinawans have less cancer, heart disease and dementia than Americans, and women there live longer than any women on the planet. Perhaps their greatest secret is a strong dedication to friends and family. They maintain a powerful social network called a “moai,” a lifelong circle of friends that supports people well into old age. Okinawans also have a strong sense of purpose in life, a driving force that the Japanese call “ikigai.” 1 2.
Singapore blue zone – Search (bing.com) Singapore is a ‘blue zone’, an area with the longest-living and happiest people 1 2 3 4 and has ‘engineered’ a society that lives to 100 (cnbc.com) through health-conscious policies, culture of activity, and strong community bonds. Singapore’s average life expectancy is 83 years, more than a decade above the global average 5. It joins the existing five blue zones, which are Sardinia, Okinawa, Nicoya, Icaria, and Loma Linda. Singapore ranks among the world’s healthiest, happiest, and longest-lived places on the planet. Here are Six Lessons from Singapore, the World’s Newest Blue Zones Region – Blue Zone
Nutritional deficiencies
People with Alzheimer’s disease tend to be deficient in these 5 nutrients
that ‘help keep brains in top condition at all ages,’ researchers say,
Levels of five micronutrients are “strikingly lower” in the brains of
those who have Alzheimer’s disease compared with those who don’t.
That’s according to new research published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease by Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine professor C. Kathleen Dorey and a team of researchers.
Scientists analyzed the brains of 31 donors, the average age of which was 75 years.
Most, but not all, had died with Alzheimer’s disease. Compared with unaffected brains, they found that brains of those with the disease had around half the level of the following micronutrients—vitamins and minerals critical to the body’s function, but needed in only small amounts: MCT OIL AND ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA – Search (bing.com)
• Lycopene: An antioxidant that could help protect cells from damage, lycopene gives some fruits and vegetables—like tomatoes, watermelon, red oranges, pink grapefruits, apricots, and guavas—their red hue.
• Retinol: A form of Vitamin A that helps the immune system work properly, retinol helps you see in dim lighting and keeps skin healthy. It’s found in foods like cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, yogurt, and liver. The body can convert beta-carotene into retinol, so indirect sources include yellow, red, and green leafy vegetables like spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, and red peppers, as well as yellow fruits like mangos, papaya, and apricots.
• Lutein: Often referred to as the “eye vitamin,” lutein is thought to protect eye tissue from sun damage. You can find it in foods like egg yolks, spinach, kale, corn, orange peppers, kiwis, grapes, zucchinis, and squash.
• Zeaxanthin: An antioxidant, zeaxanthin is known to protect eye tissues from the sun. It’s found in eggs, oranges, grapes, corn, goji berries, mango, and orange peppers.
• Vitamin E: Also, an antioxidant, Vitamin E keeps free radicals in check, improves immune function, and can prevent clots from forming in the arteries of the heart. It can be found in plant-based oils, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables like sunflower oil, soybean oil, almonds, peanuts, spinach, pumpkin, red bell peppers, asparagus, mangoes, and avocados.
All five micronutrients are antioxidants, substances that may prevent or delay some cell damage. Lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin are also carotenoids, nutrient-rich pigments found in fruits and vegetables. Other large studies have found that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease was “significantly lower” in those who ate diets rich in carotenoids, or who had high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in their blood or retina, according to Dorey.
Vitamin B12 has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease 12. A deficiency in vitamin B-12 may mimic signs of Alzheimer’s like behavior changes, increased agitation and memory loss 2. Several studies have linked a vitamin B-12 deficiency with symptoms of Alzheimer’s and actual shrinkage of the brain 2. Higher levels of homocysteine can raise the risk of both strokes and dementia, and homocysteine levels can be lowered by increasing the amount of vitamin B12 in the blood 1. However, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that vitamin B12 supplementation can prevent Alzheimer’s disease from developing 3.
Copper and Zinc Deficiency and Alzheimer’s – Search (bing.com)
Multiple studies have also found that those who follow MIND
(Mediterranean/Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay)—which emphasizes the consumption of antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fish, with very little meat, dairy, and sweets—had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, better cognitive function prior to death, and fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease in those who did develop the condition.