February 5 2014. A an article published online on February 4, 2014 in the journal PLoS One reveals a protective effect for a Mediterranean diet, characterized by an abundance of fruit, vegetables, whole grain, nuts, fish and olive oil, against the risk of cardiovascular disease in Midwestern firefighters. “To the best of our knowledge, no studies have examined this dietary pattern in a North American occupational cohort,” Justin Yang, PhD, of Harvard School of Public Health and his associates announce.
Lifestyle questionnaire responses of 780 male firefighters were scored on their adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet. Subjects whose adherence to the diet was greatest had a 35% lower risk of metabolic syndrome, (a disorder that significantly increases the risk of developing diabetes or cardiovascular disease) in comparison with men whose adherence was lowest. The group with the greatest adherence also had a 43% lower risk of weight gain over the previous five years, lower body fat percentage, greater high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
"Our study adds more evidence showing the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet, even after adjusting for exercise and body weight," commented study coauthor Stefanos Kales, who is an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard School of Public Health.
"The logical next steps from our investigation are studies using the workplace to specifically promote Mediterranean dietary habits among firefighters and other U.S. workers," Dr Yang added.
