This research caught my attention for the fact that it's a unique "Tweener" so far as studies go - not taking a look at specific nutrients of foods and yet not a tremendously large and convoluted mess, like the Nurses Health Study.
Instead, this study - headed by Inger Bjorck, professor of food-related nutrition at Lund University - looked over the health effects of dieting with multiple foods which are considered to reduce inflammation.
Here are the studies details; Forty-four healthy, overweight people between the ages of 50 and 75 took part in the diet study. For a month they ate foods which are presumed to lessen low-grade inflammation in the body, a condition which triggers metabolic syndrome and thus obesity, type two diabetes and coronary disease. The test diet was full of antioxidants, low-GI foods (i.e. slow release carbohydrates), omega fatty acids, wholegrain products, probiotics and viscous dietary fiber.
The types of foods eaten were oily fish, barley, soy protein, blueberries, almonds, cinnamon, and vinegar along with a certain kind of wholegrain breads. Cholesterol levels were reduced by 33 percent. Blood lipids were reduced by 14 percent. Blood pressure levels were reduced by 8 percent. A risk marker for thrombus by 26 percent. A marker of inflammation in the body seemed to be reduced as well, while memory and cognitive function were improved. The research results make sense as these are healthy, largely unprocessed foods that have been shown to possess many benefits individually. It might be premature to summarize, however that these foods are the optimal way to eat as any dietary change is usually a vast improvement towards the average persons dietary habits.
I would be willing to bet that other dietary patterns might be equally (or at best competitively) as effective as the pattern they chose - so long as consumption of calories remained in check. A control number of some sort will be warranted to provide this study with a little more credibility. One of the highlights of studying clusters of different foods is the fact that it will help take the emphasis from single food "cures" that runs rampant in "superfood" products. I’m curious to determine what type of weight loss the participants experienced.
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