A collaboration between Italian and Spanish researchers has uncovered a possible relationship between binge eating disorder and adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
It is not well know what causes binge eating disorders, though it is understood to be related to mental illness and the compulsive need to eat without actually being hungry.
Studies focusing on the Mediterranean diet have shown that consumption may be related to a possible decreased risk of certain mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety, though until recently, there have been no studies examining possible connections between Mediterranean diet adherence and mental illness related to binge eating.
One recent study looked at a group of individuals at risk of developing binge eating disorders (1472 participants total) and asked them questions about their diet. The answers to these surveys resulted in an adherence to the Mediterranean Diet score for each participant. Questionnaires related to binge eating, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and total body fat were also given to participants to complete.
A new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) by a large cohort of Spanish doctors and scientists found that the “Mediterranean diet”, like the diet frequently consumed by the French and other cultures throughout the Mediterranean area (think: French Paradox), is not correlated with the onset of metabolic syndrome, and in many cases actually reversed the condition in those experiences symptoms.
Metabolic syndrome, also known as insulin resistance or pre-diabetes, is a common health problem in modern times that can be caused by obesity, sedentary behaviors, stress, and poor diet.
Building on the idea that the Mediterranean diet, as evident in the so-called French Paradox, somehow protects against these diet and weight-related disorders, Spanish researchers found that in looking at just shy of 6000 patients that were at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, a Mediterranean diet featuring extra virgin olive oil and/or nuts prevented the signs and symptoms of metabolic syndrome from occurring. Additionally, a Mediterranean diet featuring extra virgin olive oil and/or nuts was also associated with the reversal of metabolic syndrome symptoms in those patients already exhibiting these characteristics at the beginning of the study.
![Photo by Lekegian, G. [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://french-paradox.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/The_Strong_Man_of_the_Police_School_1906_french-paradox-217x300.jpg)
![Photo by Lekegian, G. [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://french-paradox.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/The_Strong_Man_of_the_Police_School_1906_french-paradox.jpg)
