- The Nordic diet is becoming more and more popular and is ranked as the best diet option in 2021.
- It consists of whole grains, fruits, tubers, fatty fish, legumes, and low-fat dairy products.
- But how does this diet compare to the Mediterranean diet, another very popular diet, in terms of long-term health benefits? An investigator takes a look.
Every month there seems to be a new diet making the rounds online. One of the latest is the Nordic diet, which some claim could be better for your health than the Mediterranean diet. And research is beginning to suggest that it might at least have some similar benefits.
The Nordic diet is based on the traditional foods available in the Nordic countries. The staple foods it includes are whole grains (particularly rye, barley, and oats), fruits (particularly berries), tubers (such as beets, carrots, and turnips), fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna and mackerel), legumes and fatty dairy products.
But unlike the Mediterranean diet, which has a long inheritance and the health benefits of which have been consistently observed in population studies and research, the Nordic diet was actually developed by a committee of nutrition and food experts, along with chefs, food historians and environmentalists.
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because it was created
The motivation to create it was improve dietary guidelines in the Nordic countries in a sustainable way, also seeking to create a local identity linked to food and culture.
Still, the nordic diet shares a number of similarities with the Mediterranean diet, in the sense that it consists of more whole foods and fewer or no highly processed foods. It also encourages eating more plant foods and less meat.
Perhaps the key feature of the Nordic diet is that it encourages people to include a wide range of locally available foods such as mosses, seeds, vegetables and herbs (including those that grow wild). That’s why the berries like lingonberries they are a central element of the Nordic diet, while citrus and tropical fruits are not.
Although the most of both the nordic diet and the mediterranean diet are made up of plants, the type of plants are very different. For example, people following the Nordic diet will be encouraged to eat foods such as seaweed and seaweed (which are rich in nutrients such as iodine, omega-3 fatty acids, and even vitamin D), as well as other locally available vegetables and fruits. .
For the Mediterranean diet, people would include leafy greens like spinach, as well as onions, zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers, which are all indigenous to the region.
What does the evidence say?
The Nordic diet is still relatively new, being first published in 2010. This means it’s probably too early to tell if it reduces the risk of chronic disease.
The Mediterranean diet, on the other hand, has been studied by researchers since the 1950 and 60 – meaning we have a better understanding of your links with a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes Y some types of cancer.
But some studies looking retrospectively at people’s eating habits found that people who ate diets similar to what is now known as the Nordic diet tended to be healthier. These studies found that Nordic eating patterns were associated with a lower risk of heart disease Y type 2 diabetes in people from Nordic countries. However, the relationship between lower disease risk and Nordic diets is less strong in people of other countries. The reason for this is currently unclear.
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The difficulty with these population studies is that they looked at a dietary pattern that technically did not exist, as it was not defined until after they participated in these studies. This means that the participants may not have been following the Nordic diet deliberately, making it difficult to really know if the health benefits they claim are due to the Nordic diet itself.
However, a recent (but small) review looking at studies on the Nordic diet found that it can reduce some disease risk factors, including body weight and LDL cholesterol (often called the “bad” cholesterol). But no significant improvements were seen in blood pressure or total cholesterol.
At the moment, it is probably too early to say whether following the Nordic diet has long-term health benefits and is more beneficial to our health than the Mediterranean diet. But based on research, it appears that the Nordic diet holds promise for health.
Research also shows that some of the main staples of the Nordic diet (including whole grains Y oily fish) are themselves linked to better health, including reduced risk of heart disease. This suggests that combining these foods while following the Nordic diet could lead to similar health benefits.
eat local
The Nordic diet is not just about health. It was also developed to help the planet by using local and sustainable food for a healthier diet.
Right now, some of the main barriers that prevent people from adopting the Nordic diet are taste preferences Y cost. But if these barriers are overcome, the Nordic diet could very well be another option. more sustainable way of eating for those in the Nordic countries as it might be a locally sourced diet for others.
While it is perhaps too early to say whether the Nordic diet is healthier than other popular diets, such as the Mediterranean diet – could help inspire us to see how we can adapt diets to focus more on consuming locally grown and available whole foods.
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However, eating more of the foods common to the Mediterranean and Nordic diets, such as vegetables, seeds, legumes, whole grains, and fish, as well as consuming less red and processed meat, is likely to be the foundation of a healthy diet. This, in addition to eating a variety of food and trying to be mainly plant-based is more important for health than following a particular diet named.
duane mellorLeader of Evidence-Based Medicine and Nutrition, Aston Medical School, aston university Y Ekavi GeorgousopoulouAssistant Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Canberra
This article is republished from The conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the Original article.
