The Nordic diet, which is based on whole grains, vegetables, fish, fruit and rapeseed oil, is considered a very healthy type of diet, although it has always been associated with weight loss. Now a study carried out by members of the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) has emphasized that its beneficial effects on health are there even if no physical changes are observed in the person.
The benefits of the Nordic diet, according to the study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, are the prevention of obesity and the reduction of the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension, since this type of diet helps to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The point is that it was always thought that these reductions were due to weight loss, but now it is known that it can happen even if the weight is the same.
The trial examined blood and urine samples from 200 people over the age of 50, all of whom had a high body mass index and an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The participants were divided into two groups, one followed the principles of the Nordic diet for half a year and the other continued with their eating habits as before.
Less saturated and unsaturated fats in the blood
“The group that had followed the Nordic diet for six months became significantly healthier, with lower cholesterol levels, lower overall levels of saturated and unsaturated fats in the blood, and better glucose regulation, compared to the group. of control. We kept the weight of the Nordic diet group stable, meaning we asked them to eat more if they lost weight. Even without weight loss, we could see an improvement in their health,” said Lars Ove Dragsted, lead author of the study.
Unsaturated fatty acids from fish, sunflower, flaxseed or rapeseed could be the ones that provide benefits to those who follow the Nordic diet
The researchers believe it may be the unique composition of the fats included in the Nordic diet foods that cause these health benefits, and not the weight loss itself. And it is that, in the blood tests of the participants, they observed that those who changed their diet had different fat-soluble substances in their blood than those of the control group.
These substances could be related to the unsaturated fatty acids in the oils of the Nordic diet, which come from fish, sunflower, flaxseed or rapeseed, among others. The authors consider that all of them make a mixture that is beneficial for the body, although it remains to be seen exactly how they help reduce cholesterol and blood sugar.
“We can confirm that the absence of highly processed foods and less saturated fat of animal origin have a very positive effect on us. Therefore, the composition of fats in the Nordic diet, which is higher in omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fats, is probably a considerable part of the explanation for the health effects we find in the Nordic diet, even when the weight of the participants is kept constant”, indicates Lars Ove Dragsted.
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