Macro partitioning
Adherence to a Mediterranean diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil or mixed nuts reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke) compared to a low-fat control diet in high-risk individuals.
To lower your cardiovascular risk, adopt a Mediterranean dietary pattern. If you are at high risk (e.g., high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol), incorporate extra-virgin olive oil as your main cooking fat (aim for about 1 liter per week if following the study protocol) and eat a small handful of mixed nuts (about 30 grams) daily. Focus on getting these foods through education and support rather than just willpower, and do not fear the fat content, as unsaturated fats from these sources are cardioprotective.
Our hypothesis was that two traditional MeDiets, one enriched with virgin olive oil (VOO) and another enriched with nuts, both high in total fat and unsaturated fat, would be superior to the usually recommended low-fat diet for the primary prevention of CVD in a high-risk population.
Why this rating
The paper describes a large, randomized, controlled trial (PREDIMED) with 7447 high-risk participants, which is the gold standard for causal inference in nutrition.
Source
Cohort Profile: Design and methods of the PREDIMED study
Miguel Ángel Martínez‐González et al. · International Journal of Epidemiology · 2010
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