The green Mediterranean diet can reduce visceral fat twice as much as the traditional Mediterranean diet, according to a study. Visceral fat reduction is considered the true goal of weight loss
The green Mediterranean diet reduces visceral fat twice as much as the traditional Mediterranean diet , according to a new study was published in BMC Medicine.
Visceral fat is a type of fat within the abdominal cavity, which cannot be seen but increases health risks.
” Visceral fat accumulates over time between the organs and produces hormones and poisons related to heart disease, diabetes, dementia and premature death ,” says the report shared by the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, in Israel.
In the large-scale trial, the green Mediterranean diet was pitted against the Mediterranean diet and a healthy diet in a large-scale interventional clinical trial. The green Mediterranean diet was found to reduce visceral fat by 14%, the Med diet by 7%, and the healthy diet by 4.5% .
The study report notes that visceral fat reduction is considered the true goal of weight loss , as it is a more important indicator than a person’s weight or waist circumference.
The research was led by Professor Iris Shai of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, Professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Hila Zelicha, and Italian, German and American colleagues.
What is the green Mediterranean diet?
According to the Harvard Nutrition Source, the Mediterranean diet is a primarily plant-based eating plan that includes daily intake of whole grains, olive oil, fruits, vegetables, beans and other legumes, nuts, herbs, and spices.
The green Mediterranean diet is more enriched with dietary polyphenols and has less red meat and processed meat than the traditional Mediterranean diet.
The modified Mediterranean diet applied by the researchers includes the daily intake of walnuts (28 grams), the consumption of 3-4 cups of green tea per day and 100 grams of green duckweed shake per day.
“Duckweed is high in bioavailable protein, iron, vitamin B12, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols,” the report states.
Researchers point out that the green Mediterranean diet has a variety of health effects ranging from the microbiome to age-related degenerative diseases.
“A 14% reduction in visceral fat is a spectacular achievement for making simple dietary and lifestyle changes. Weight loss is an important goal only if it is accompanied by impressive results in the reduction of adipose tissue ”, notes Dr. Hila Zelicha.