Mediterranean Diet Beats Low-Fat Diet For Long-Term Weight Loss

If studies by Harvard University are correct, a Mediterranean diet may be just the right thing for your weight loss journey. Results from recent Harvard studies on weight loss indicate that a Mediterranean diet is indeed found to be effective when losing weight. In addition, a Mediterranean diet was found to be good for supporting heart, brain, and eye health. The Harvard studies compared participants adopting different diets when trying to lose weight and observed how each of the groups fared to in comparison to the others. The Mediterranean diet was pitted against the standard diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association, as well as low fat and low carb diets.

A Mediterranean diet (not to be confused with Mediterranean food or cuisine) comprises high consumption of fruits, vegetables, unrefined cereals, olive oil, legumes, fish, and low consumption of non-seafood meats, dairy, and eggs. Participants who adopted the Mediterranean diet for one year were found to have lost four to ten kilos. Similar results were also found in participants who adopted the low carbohydrate diet, and the diet recommended by American Diabetes Association. However, the low-fat diet had the participants lose only about two to five kilos. So is a Mediterranean diet a sure way to lose those extra pounds? Unfortunately the answer is no, but it could help get you there. Whatever diet is right for you, be sure to maintain a balance of exercise and healthy food choices to increase your chances of shedding some extra pounds.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/adopt-a-mediterranean-diet-now-for-better-health-later-201311066846