This study just came out.
Role of vegetables and fruits in Mediterranean diets to prevent hypertension. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 May;63(5):605-12. Epub 2008 Feb 27.
What I found most interesting is that there was a strong relationship between the amount of olive oil consumed (which you often here touted in the media as being the part of the MED diet that is more beneficial) and the amount of fruit and vegetables, fiber and saturated fat. Those who ate the most olive oil, also ate the most fruit and veggies, took in the most fiber, and the least saturated fat. From the lowest group to the highest group, they difference was they ate 250% the amount of fruit and veggies, 275% the amount of fiber, 25% less saturated fat, and about 60% more olive oil. Yet, even in the highest olive oil group, the amount consumed was 22 grams a day, which is the equivalent of just over 1.5 TB per day.
Seems to me the biggest difference and impact is from the difference in the F&V, Fiber and Sat Fat.
And, notice their conclusions, the benefit was only seen amongst those with the lowest consumption of olive oil. So, those who had a high fruit and veggies intake and a high olive oil intake did not get the same benefit as those who had a high fruit and veggie intake and a low olive oil intake.
It is not the olive oil.
Regards
Jeff Novick, MS, RD
Role of vegetables and fruits in Mediterranean diets
to prevent hypertension. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008), 1–8
Background/Objectives: Several studies support the effectiveness of increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables (F&V) to prevent hypertension. However, none of them have been conducted in a Mediterranean setting. The aim of this study was to assess the association between F&V consumption and the risk of hypertension.
Subjects/Methods: A prospective Mediterranean study (the SUN cohort), including 8594 participants aged 20–95 years (mean, 41.1) with median follow-up of 49 months.
Results: Analyses according to the joint classification by olive oil and F&V consumption showed a significant inverse relation between F&V consumption and the risk of hypertension only among participants with a low olive oil consumption (< 15 g per day). Also, tests for trend were significant only in the low olive oil intake stratum.
Conclusions: We found a statistically significant interaction (P1/40.01) between olive oil intake and F&V consumption. These data suggest a sub-additive effect of both food items.