Title:An Evidence Base for Heart Disease Prevention using a Mediterranean
Diet Comprised Primarily of Vegetarian Food
Volume: 14
Issue: 3
Author(s): Umesh C. Gupta*, Subhas C. Gupta and Shayle S. Gupta
Affiliation:
- Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Charlottetown Research and Development Centre,
440 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 4N6, Canada
Keywords:
Bypass, polyphenols, phytonutrient, stents, symptoms, stem cells, transplant.
Abstract: Dietary patterns, nutrition, physical activity, air pollution, tobacco smoke, ethnicity
and genetics affect heart disease. Vegetarian food diets are one of the important factors in its
prevention and control. People living in the five blue zones, mostly consuming the Mediterranean
diet (MedDiet), have the highest longevity in the world and the least incidence of heart disease.
There are several forms of heart pathology, e.g., the most common coronary heart disease,
myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, heart valve disease and abnormal heart rhythms.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world and varies by race, where indigenous and
people of color have a higher risk for its complications than the white population. The morbidity
of cardiovascular pathology in the Afro-American community persists high and is a primary
source of disparities in life expectancy between Afro-Americans and whites in the United States.
Adherence to healthy diets higher in vegetable foods and lower in animal foods is correlated with
a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, morbidity and mortality in the general population. A detailed
literature review was performed of the Medline, EMBASE, and Ebsco databases to synthesize
and compare evidence on this topic to produce a review of the importance of a Mediterranean
diet in the prevention of heart disease. Consumption of a MedDiet consisting of fruits and
vegetables (including berries due to their high fibre and antioxidant content), nuts, whole grains,
leafy greens, beans like chickpeas, eggplants, Greek yogurt and extra virgin olive oil are associated
with longer life and lower incidence of heart disease. The latter diet is superior to consuming
large quantities of meat and refined carbohydrates, such as sucrose, high fructose corn syrup
and grains that have had the fibrous and nutritious parts removed.
