• Nordic diet lowers cholesterol and blood

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Tuesday, March 08, 2022 21:30:38
    Nordic diet lowers cholesterol and blood sugar - even if you don't lose
    weight

    Date:
    March 8, 2022
    Source:
    University of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science
    Summary:
    A healthy Nordic diet can prevent a range of diseases. Until now,
    the health benefits attributed to a Nordic diet by researchers
    primarily focused on weight loss. But in a new study, researchers
    found clear evidence that a Nordic diet can lower blood sugar and
    cholesterol levels even without weight loss. In particular, they
    point to the composition of dietary fats as a possible explanation
    for the diet's positive effects.



    FULL STORY ========================================================================== Berries, veggies, fish, whole grains and rapeseed oil. These are the
    main ingredients of the Nordic diet concept that, for the past decade,
    have been recognized as extremely healthy, tasty and sustainable. The
    diet can prevent obesity and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,
    type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.


    ========================================================================== Until now, Nordic diet research has primarily been linked to the diet's positive health effect following weight loss. But a new analysis conducted
    by University of Copenhagen researchers, among others, makes it clear
    that a Nordic diet has positive health benefits -- regardless of whether
    one loses weight or not.

    "It's surprising because most people believe that positive effects on
    blood sugar and cholesterol are solely due to weight loss. Here, we have
    found this not to be the the case. Other mechanisms are also at play,"
    explains Lars Ove Dragsted, a researcher and head of section at the
    University of Copenhagen's Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports.

    Together with researchers from Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland,
    Dragsted examined blood and urine samples from 200 people over the
    age of 50, all with elevated BMI and increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The participants were divided into two groups --
    one provided foods according to Nordic dietary recommendations and a
    control group on their habitual diet.

    After six months of monitoring, the result was clear.

    "The group that had been on the Nordic diet for six months became
    significantly healthier, with lower cholesterol levels, lower overall
    levels of both saturated and unsaturated fat in the blood, and better regulation of glucose, compared to the control group. We kept the group on
    the Nordic diet weight stable, meaning that we asked them to eat more if
    they lost weight. Even without weight loss, we could see an improvement
    in their health," explains Lars Ove Dragsted.

    The fat makes us healthy Instead of weight loss alone, the researchers
    point to the unique composition of fats in a Nordic diet as a possible explanation for the significant health benefits.



    ==========================================================================
    "By analyzing the blood of participants, we could see that those
    who benefited most from the dietary change had different fat-soluble
    substances than the control group. These are substances that appear to
    be linked to unsaturated fatty acids from oils in the Nordic diet. This
    is a sign that Nordic dietary fats probably play the most significant
    role for the health effects seen here, which I hadn't expected," says
    Lars Ove Dragsted.

    Fats in the Nordic diet come from fish, flaxseeds, sunflower and
    rapeseed (Canola), among other things. As a whole, they constitute a
    very beneficial mix for the body, although the researchers have yet to accurately explain why these fats seem to lower both blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

    "We can only speculate as to why a change in fat composition benefits
    our health so greatly. However, we can confirm that the absence of highly processed food and less saturated fats from animals, have a very positive effect on us.

    So, the fat composition in the Nordic diet, which is higher in omega-3
    and omega-6 unsaturated fats, is probably a considerable part of the explanation for the health effects we find from the Nordic diet, even when
    the weight of participants remains constant," concludes Lars Ove Dragsted.

    Facts about the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations were adopted by dietary experts in 2012 and will be
    updated this year.



    ==========================================================================
    The diet is adapted to the Nordic countries: Denmark, Sweden, Norway,
    Finland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland. The diet is based
    on ingredients that are produced locally and are thereby sustainable.

    Recommended foods include vegetables such as peas, beans, cabbage,
    onions and root vegetables, as well as fruits, including apples, pears,
    plums and berries.

    Also recommended are nuts, seeds, whole grains, fish, and shellfish, as
    well as vegetable oils made from rapeseed, sunflower or flaxseed. Finally, low-fat dairy products are also recommended, as well as a significantly
    smaller proportion of meat than currently consumed.

    The diet contributes to important fatty acids, minerals, vitamins,
    and plant materials that have a positive effect on our health and,
    among other things, reduce the risk of blood clots, type 2 diabetes,
    high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as cardiovascular
    disease in general.

    Weight loss in relation to a Nordic diet The researchers stress that
    weight loss, which frequently results from a Nordic dietary pattern,
    remains very important for the diet's overall health benefits.

    "This study simply shows that it is not only weight loss that leads
    to the benefits of this diet. The unique composition of fats plays an
    important role as well," says Lars Ove Dragsted.


    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Copenhagen_-_Faculty_of_Science. Note: Content may be
    edited for style and length.


    ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Go"zde Gu"rdeniz, Matti Uusitupa, Kjeld Hermansen, Markku
    J. Savolainen,
    Ursula Schwab, Marjukka Kolehmainen, Lea Brader, Lieselotte
    Cloetens, Karl-Heinz Herzig, Janne Hukkanen, Fredrik Rosqvist,
    Stine Marie Ulven, Ingibjo"rg Gunnarsdo'ttir, Inga Thorsdottir,
    Matej Oresic, Kaisa S.

    Poutanen, Ulf Rise'rus, Bjo"rn AAkesson, Lars Ove Dragsted. Analysis
    of the SYSDIET Healthy Nordic Diet randomized trial based
    on metabolic profiling reveal beneficial effects on glucose
    metabolism and blood lipids. Clinical Nutrition, 2022; 41 (2):
    441 DOI: 10.1016/ j.clnu.2021.12.031 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220308102754.htm

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