1. “Olive” this Diet
and So Will You:
Exploring the
Mediterranean
Diet
Ellen Hashiguchi

2. Overview
 Characteristics of the American Diet
 Trends in the American Diet
 The Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
 The Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease in the
U.S.

3. Characteristics of the American Diet
 Data from WWEIA and the 2003– 2004 and 2005–2006
NHANES Data:
 Average Daily Caloric Intake: 2,176 kcal/day.
 Top Five food sources of daily caloric intake:
 cake, cookies, quick bread, pastry, and pie (7.2%)
 yeast breads and rolls(7.1%)
 soft drinks (5.4%)
 beef (4.7%)
 crackers, pretzels, chips (4.7%)
Huth P, Nutrition Journal, 2013

4. Characteristics of the American Diet
 WWEIA & NHANES 2003-2004 & 2005- 2006:
 Average intake of added sugars >2 years old 83.9 g/day
 The top 3 sources of saturated fatty acids(cheese, beef,
and milk) contribute more than 40% of the vitamin B12,
almost half of the vitamin D and calcium intake
 “Nutrients of Concern”
 Potassium, Dietary Fiber, Calcium, and Vitamin D
Huth P, Nutrition Journal, 2013

5. Trends in the American Diet
 1970 – 2000: Caloric intake increased by 24.5% (530 calories)
 Refined Grains: 9.5%
 Added fats and oils: 9.0%
 Added sugars: 4.7%
Ogden C, CDC, 2011

6. The Mediterranean Diet
 Based on the traditional eating habits of the
countries that border the Mediterranean Sea
 Ancient Mediterranean diet focused on the 7
biblical species—wheat, barley, grapes, figs,
pomegranates, olives, and date honey
Yang J, Plos One, 2014

7. The Mediterranean Diet
 Characterized by high consumption of:
 Olive oil: Monounsaturated Fat
 Fruits: Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber
 Vegetables: Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber
 Non-refined breads and cereals
 Legumes: Soluble Fiber
 Nuts: Unsaturated Fats
 Fish: omega-3 fatty acids
 Wine: Resveratrol

8. Cardiovascular Disease
 The leading cause of death in the United
States
 Responsible for 1 in every 3 deaths
 Stroke is the #1 cause of long-term disability
 CVD treatment costs $312.6 billion/year
Gwynne M, Journal Of Family Practice, 2013

9. Cardiovascular Disease
 Modifiable Risk Factors:
 Hypertension
 Tobacco use
 Diabetes Mellitus
 Physical inactivity
 Unhealthy diet
 The AHA reports diet is responsible for13% of CVD
deaths
 Cholesterol/lipids
 Overweight and obesity
www.world-heart-federation.org/

10. The Mediterranean Diet and
Cardiovascular Disease
 The Seven Countries Study:
 Farmers of Crete followed a high-fat diet but
had the lowest cardiovascular mortality rate
 Meta-analysis have shown that consumption
of marine omega-3s decrease the risk of
major cardiovascular (CV) events, such as
myocardial infarction (MI), sudden cardiac
death (SCD), coronary heart disease (CHD)
Lavie C, Journal Of The American College Of Cardiology , 2009

11. The Mediterranean Diet and
Cardiovascular Disease
 METHODS: A cross-sectional cohort study of 780 male
firefighters, ages 18 years or older, from 11 fire
departments in two Midwestern states.
 RESULTS: Inverse relationship between
Mediterranean Diet and MetS, LDL cholesterol and
weight gain.
 metabolic syndrome score ↓
 LDL-cholesterol ↓
 Weight gain ↓
 HDL-cholesterol ↑
Yang J, Plos One, 2014

12. Mediterranean Diet vs Low-Fat Diet
 METHODS: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
compared the Mediterranean Diet with low-fat diets (<30% fat) in
overweight/obese participants.
 RESULTS: CVD risk factors and vascular inflammatory markers
improved more favorably among individuals following the
Mediterranean diet than the Low-Fat.
 Body weight ↓
 BMI ↓
 Waist circumference ↓
 Total cholesterol ↓
 C-reactive protein ↓
 P-value <.001
Nordmann A, American Journal of Medicine, 2011

13. Resources
Mediterranean Diet Shopping List
http://oldwayspt.org

14. Resources
Mediterranean Food Pyramid
www.mediterraneanharvest.com

15. Resources
Eat Seasonally
http://www.farmersmarketonline.com/fm/Illinois.htm

16. Let’s Make a Change
AMERICAN MEDITERRANEAN

17. References:
1. Huth P, Fulgoni III V, Keast D, Park K, Auestad N. Major food sources of calories, added sugars, and
saturated fat and their contribution to essential nutrient intakes in the U.S. diet: data from the national
health and nutrition examination survey (2003-2006).Nutrition Journal [serial online]. September
2013;12(1):1-10.
2. Odegaard A, Koh W, Yuan J, Gross M, Pereira M. Western-Style Fast Food Intake and Cardiometabolic
Risk in an Eastern Country.Circulation [serial online]. July 10, 2012;126(2):182-188.
3. Berry E, Arnoni Y, Aviram M. The Middle Eastern and biblical origins of the Mediterranean diet. Public
Health Nutrition [serial online]. December 2011;14(12A):2288-2295.
4. Yang J, Farioli A, Korre M, Kales S. Modified Mediterranean Diet Score and Cardiovascular Risk in a
North American Working Population. Plos ONE [serial online]. February 2014;9(2):1-9.
5. Widmer R, Flammer A, Lerman L, Lerman A. The Mediterranean Diet, its Components, and
Cardiovascular Disease. American Journal Of Medicine [serial online]. March 2015;128(3):229-238.
6. Lavie C, Milani R, Mehra M, Ventura H. Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular
Diseases. Journal Of The American College Of Cardiology (JACC) [serial online]. August 11,
2009;54(7):585-594.
7. Gwynne M, Mounsey A, Ewigman B, Stevermer J. Mediterranean diet: Higher fat but lower risk. Journal
Of Family Practice [serial online]. December 2013;62(12):745-748.
8. Nordmann A, Suter-Zimmermann K, Briel M, et al. Meta-Analysis Comparing Mediterranean to Low-Fat
Diets for Modification of Cardiovascular Risk Factors. American Journal Of Medicine [serial online].
September 2011;124(9):841-851.e2