Atlantic diet can prevent metabolic syndrome, says study

One study found that the atlantic diet may help reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome. This is a popular type of diet in some regions of Portugal and Spain and is similar to the Mediterranean diet. Its base is foods such as fish, vegetables and olive oil, as well as fruits, lean meats, dairy products and wine (in moderation).

Published on JAMA Network Open This month, the study aimed to analyze the effects of the Atlantic diet on metabolic and environmental health, evaluating the incidence of metabolic syndrome and the carbon footprint emitted by it. According to researchers, this type of diet can significantly reduce the risk of the syndrome. However, the reduction in carbon footprint was not significant.

What is metabolic syndrome?

According to the SBEM (Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism), metabolic syndrome is a set of diseases characterized by insulin resistance. According to the Brazilian Consensus on Metabolic Syndrome, the condition occurs when three of the five criteria below are present:

• Central obesity (women's waist circumference greater than 88 centimeters and men's waist circumference greater than 102 centimeters);
• Arterial hypertension;
• Altered blood glucose or diagnosis of diabetes;
• High triglycerides (above 150 mg/dL);
• HDL cholesterol below 40 mg/dL in men and below 50 mg/dL in women.

Factors such as diet and sedentary lifestyle can influence the risk of metabolic syndrome and lead to even more serious health conditions.

How was the study carried out?

To carry out the study, the researchers analyzed another previous research: the study of the Atlantic Diet in Galicia. The research included data from adults aged between 18 and 85 and excluded people who were pregnant, taking lipid-lowering medications, who had a terminal or serious cardiovascular disease, who abused alcohol and who had dementia. Participants must also be part of a family of two or more members to be able to take part in the study.

After selection, the researchers randomly divided the families into an intervention group, which followed the Atlantic diet, and a control group, which followed the normal eating pattern. In total, 121 families in the first group and 110 in the second completed the study.

To help the intervention group maintain the Atlantic diet, participants were offered nutritional education, cooking classes and regular food baskets. Each participant's carbon footprint was calculated by the researchers.

According to the results of the study, the group that maintained the Atlantic diet showed greater improvement in terms of metabolic syndrome. Among participants who did not have the syndrome, only 2.7% in the intervention group developed the condition while 7.3% in the control group were diagnosed with it.

Additionally, the researchers found that the Atlantic diet group had 42% less chance of developing an additional metabolic syndrome criterion . In other words, the risk was lower of the condition evolving compared to those who followed their normal diet.

Regarding the carbon footprint, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups, despite both having reduced emissions. For researchers, this reduction may be related to the family's influence on personal changes associated with the carbon footprint.