In the never-ending search to find the perfect diet, trends come and go. Recently, two different contenders have taken center stage: the Mediterranean diet and the Paleo diet.
Proponents of each diet claim to have found the perfect way to lose weight. But experts also have studied how these diets might impact overall health, particularly heart health.
“We have a lot of evidence of the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet, but much less on the Paleo diet,” says Penny Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutrition at the Pennsylvania State University and spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.
How each diet works
The Mediterranean diet places a heavy emphasis on eating plant-based foods, including:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Whole grains
Adherents to the diet shun butter in favor of olive oil, and use herbs and spices instead of salt.
The Mediterranean diet strictly limits consumption of red meat and instead incorporates more consumption of fish and poultry.
By contrast, the Paleo diet focuses on foods that a person might have consumed during the Paleolithic era, a time that began more than 2.5 million years ago and ended about 10,000 years ago.
Foods that hunters and gatherers would have consumed at that time include:
Dairy products, grains and legumes were not eaten during this era, and thus are left out of the diet of a person taking the Paleo approach.
Mediterranean vs Paleo: Heart health
Several studies have found evidence that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, also known as heart disease.
The Mediterranean diet got another important boost earlier this year when it was reported that adults on the diet were 47 percent less likely to develop heart disease over a decade compared to other adults who did not closely follow the diet.
The findings came from a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego.
The study even found that the Mediterranean diet provided more protection to the heart than regular physical activity.
Meanwhile, the evidence for the Paleo diet is less clear. Kris-Etherton says the long-term effects of the diet have not been studied.
In January, U.S. News and World report surveyed a panel of experts (including Kris-Etherton) about the potential health benefits of 35 diets. The Paleo diet finished in a tie for last place.
Does that mean the Paleo diet should go the way of the dinosaur? Not necessarily.
Kris-Etherton says there is some evidence that the diet may lower the risk of cardiometabolic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke. But that does not eliminate her concerns about the diet.
“I still worry about excluding grains and dairy products because of their many health benefits,” she says.
Consuming skim and low-fat dairy products has been linked to a decrease in risk factors for cardiovascular disease, while whole grains lower the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, Kris-Etherton says.
Other diets that are heart healthy
Kris-Etherton says other diets also can provide heart benefits.
The Ornish diet — created by Dean Ornish, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco — emphasizes fish, produce and whole grains.
“The Ornish diet — and specifically the Lifestyle Heart Program that also recommends regular physical activity along with other healthy lifestyle practices — has been shown to decrease atherosclerosis,” Kris-Etherton says.
Atherosclerosis occurs when plaque builds up in the walls of a person’s arteries. It is a main contributor to heart disease.
The Ornish diet finished first in the U.S. News and World report diet survey. The second-rated diet – the TLC diet – also rates well with Kris-Etherton.
She says research has shown that its prescription of dramatically cutting back on consumption of fats (particularly saturated fats) can decrease risk factors for cardiovascular disease.