What Do the World's Healthiest Diets Have in Common? | Hardworkout Magazine

Key takeaways

- A study published in Nutrients found that the Mediterranean, DASH, MIND and Nordic diets, along with traditional Korean, Chinese and Japanese diets, share many of the same characteristics despite developing from different food traditions.

- All of the diets compared emphasise vegetables, fruits, berries, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish and plant oils rich in unsaturated fats, and contain less processed meat, refined grains and added sugar than a typical Western diet.

- Different food cultures use different raw materials for the same purpose: olive oil in the Mediterranean and rapeseed oil in the Nordic region, chickpeas and lentils around the Mediterranean, soybeans in Asia and peas and beans in the North.

- Plant-based foods in these diets supply polyphenols, carotenoids and phytosterols alongside fibre, vitamins and minerals, and several of these compounds act as antioxidants.

- The researchers suggest that these shared traits may explain why the diets are all associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.

What does the research say about the world's healthiest diets?

There are many recommendations on what constitutes a healthy diet. At the same time, there are some diets that are frequently highlighted when researchers investigate how the food we eat affects health. The Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, MIND diet, Nordic diet, and traditional diets from, among others, Korea, China, and Japan have developed in different parts of the world and are based on various food traditions.

What did the study actually find?

A recent study published in Nutrients compared these diets to investigate what characteristics they have in common. The study showed that they share many of the same traits, which may be an important explanation for why they are all associated with a lower risk of, among other things, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

Key findings from the study

A recent study published in Nutrients compared several of the world's most well-known diets.

The diets had different origins but shared many of the same characteristics.

All placed great emphasis on vegetables, fruits, berries, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, and plant oils rich in unsaturated fats.

At the same time, they contained less processed meat, refined grain products, and foods high in added sugars than a typical Western diet.

Plant-based foods contributed dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, carotenoids, and phytosterols.

Fatty fish, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds provided important nutrients that complement the diet.

The study showed that the diets may be based on different raw materials and food traditions, yet still have many of the same characteristics.

The researchers believe these common traits may be an important explanation for why the diets are associated with many of the same health benefits.

Which diets did the researchers compare?

The diets have different backgrounds.

The Mediterranean diet and the traditional diets from Korea, China, and Japan have developed through long food traditions.

The DASH diet was developed to lower blood pressure, while the MIND diet is based on elements from the Mediterranean diet and DASH with the goal of preserving brain function in the elderly.

The Nordic diet is developed based on Nordic raw materials but shares many of the same nutritional characteristics as the Mediterranean diet.

What did the diets have in common?

The clearest finding from [the study](https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/2/334) was that the diets largely consist of the same food groups. All emphasize a high intake of:

- Vegetables, fruits, and berries

- Whole grains or other minimally processed grain products

- Legumes

- Nuts and seeds

- Fish and seafood

- Plant oils rich in unsaturated fats

At the same time, they consistently contain less processed meat, refined grain products, and foods high in added sugars than a typical Western diet.

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Why can these diets provide many of the same health benefits?

Researchers point out that vegetables, fruits, berries, legumes, nuts, and whole grains not only provide vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.

They also contain polyphenols, carotenoids, and phytosterols. Several of these act as antioxidants, and according to the study, they may help protect cells against oxidative stress, influence inflammatory processes, and interact with gut bacteria. Certain flavonoids also appear to affect insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity.

The diets also include foods that provide other important nutrients.

Fatty fish is the primary source of the marine omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Whole grains retain bran and germ and therefore contain more dietary fiber, B vitamins, and minerals than refined grain products.

Legumes provide plant protein, dietary fiber, folate, and several minerals, while nuts and seeds contribute unsaturated fat, vitamin E, and a range of minerals.

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Do the diets contain the same foods?

Although the diets have many common features, this does not mean they consist of the same foods.

The Mediterranean diet uses olive oil as the primary fat source, while the Nordic diet uses rapeseed oil. The legumes can be chickpeas and lentils around the Mediterranean, soybeans in Asia, or peas and beans in the North. The types of grains also vary between different parts of the world.

The study shows that different food cultures can assemble diets in various ways and still end up with many of the same characteristics. This may be an important explanation for why the diets are also associated with many of the same health benefits.


Sources:

Defining a Healthy Diet: Evidence for the Role of Contemporary Dietary Patterns in Health and Disease – [Nutrients](https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/2/334)