Monthly Archives: December 2014

Diet Choices

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Drops in Economic Hard Times

Frequency of consumption or adherence to the Mediterranean diet

Photo by Rannpháirtí anaithnid, spitzl (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo by Rannpháirtí anaithnid, spitzl (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
has been on the decline in the past decade or so, though the exact reason why is not known. Of course, there are theories, but it is not clear what the causes are, or if there are multiple factors as work.

One theory is that this decrease in adherence to the Mediterranean diet may be linked to the global economic declines during the years between 2005 and 2010.

One recent study examined this very theory, surveying 21001 Italian citizens over the course of the five year period between 2005 and 2010. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet scores and wealth scores were monitored, as well as other socioeconomic data, for each participant over the course of the 5 year study.

Important Findings:

Continue reading Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Drops in Economic Hard Times →

News

Wine, Mediterranean Diet, and Your Health News for 12/16/2014

Please click on the links below for the full articles.

Wine

Alcohol

Christmas & Hanukkah

Olive Oil

Mediterranean Diet

Alcohol Consumption and Behavior

Under-reporting Alcohol Consumption in Surveys – How Common and by Whom?

One problem with studies using self-reporting methods is that there is often a sense of under-reporting when it comes to how much people will admit that they drink.

This is a common issue with self-reporting type studies, and it is assumed that all individuals under-report by the same amount.

To confirm or refute this assumption, a group of Canadian

Photo by Bill Branson (Photographer) [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo by Bill Branson (Photographer) [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
researchers aimed to determine whether or not under-reporting is equal among groups, or if there are differences when it comes to age, gender, or consumption levels.

Surveying Canadian citizens between 2008 and 2010 (43,371 participants total), the researchers determined drinking frequencies for each participant and compared these data to actual sales data.

Important findings:

Continue reading Under-reporting Alcohol Consumption in Surveys – How Common and by Whom? →

News

Wine, Mediterranean Diet, and Your Health News for 12/15/2014

Please click on the links below to read the full articles.

Cardiovascular Health

Eating a Mediterranean-Style Diet Results in Significantly Reduced Left Ventricular Mass

Increased left ventricular mass is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in many populations. An increase in the left ventricular mass results in the heart having to work a lot harder to pump blood through the body, increasing risk to many cardiovascular problems, including hypertension and eventually heart failure.

There are data to suggest that one’s diet has an influence on cardiovascular health, however, there have been very few scientific studies examining the relationship between

Photo by Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator (Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator) [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo by Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator (Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator) [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
left ventricular mass and the consumption of a Mediterranean-style diet.

A new collaborative study by researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (FL) and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (NY) looked at 1937 multi-ethnic patients and determined what type of diet they regularly consumed as well as the mass of their left ventricle (using echocardiography).

Important findings:

Continue reading Eating a Mediterranean-Style Diet Results in Significantly Reduced Left Ventricular Mass →