Os periféricos europeus têm má fama. Mas, na alimentação, o Mediterrâneo é mais saudável: A Mediterranean diet rich in extra-virgin olive oil and nuts may lower your risk of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition that restricts blood flow and causes intermittent leg pain, a new study from the University of Navarra in Spain has found.
Journal of the American Medical Association, followed men aged 55 to 80 and women aged 60 to 80 between 2003 and 2010. Participants followed one of three meal plans: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil; a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts; and a low-fat diet with regular counseling. Participants who followed the third plan served as the trial’s control group.
At a median follow-up of 4.8 years, 89 participants had developed clinical PAD. Using these results, the team was able to determine that both variations of the Mediterranean diet were associated with a significantly lower incidence of the disease.
