Mediterranean diet improves children’s heart health, study finds

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The Mediterranean diet is associated with many health benefits for adults. Now a new study suggests it may benefit children’s heart health, too.

An analysis of nine previous studies involving 577 participants ages 3 to 18 found that incorporating the Mediterranean diet for at least eight weeks had a significant association with reduced blood pressure and total cholesterol, according to the study published Friday in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Research also shows that adopting healthy eating habits from a young age can help prevent cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. which often arise in childhood, according to researchers.

“Early eating habits significantly influence long-term health outcomes,” the study’s lead author, Dr. José Francisco López-Gil, a senior researcher in the One Health Research Group at the University of the Americas in Quito, Ecuador, said in an email.

“The key takeaway for parents is the importance of promoting a diet rich in whole foods and healthy fats to optimize their children’s health and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.”

Given the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for cardiometabolic health in adults, the findings are not surprising but further underscore the importance of eating a diet that includes whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fish throughout all stages of life, said Stuart Berger, MD, division chief of pediatric cardiology. at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Berger was not involved in the study.

Here’s how parents and caregivers can help their kids benefit from the Mediterranean diet, according to experts.

The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that includes plant-based cooking with an emphasis on healthy fats. Fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts, whole grains, lean meats, and fish all contribute to the diet.

Not all children need to adopt a Mediterranean diet, but it’s important to increase the amount of “real foods” in children’s diets and decrease the amount of highly processed foods with added sugars and sodium, said Dr. Natalie Muth, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, who was not involved in the research.

“We know that calories from ultra-processed foods make up about 70% of the average teen’s caloric intake. Any change that can reduce consumption of things like chips, cookies and soda and increase consumption of fruits and vegetables is a big win,” Muth, a pediatrician and registered dietitian at the WELL Clinic at Children’s Primary Care Medical Group in San Diego, said in an email.

But it’s still important to keep the child’s preferences in mind and incorporate cultural traditions into advice on food choices, Muth added. For those interested in adopting the Mediterranean diet, it’s also essential to follow age-appropriate diets and exercise recommended by the child’s pediatrician, said Berger, who is a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Gathering together as a family over a meal to bond also plays a major role in the Mediterranean diet, said Dr. Tamara Hannon, director of the pediatric diabetes clinical program at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis.

“Parents should model eating according to this pattern, providing structured (scheduled) meals and snacks, and exercising daily,” she added in an email. Hannon, who is also a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, was not involved in the study.

Hannon also recommends that parents and caregivers limit their children’s eating between structured meals and snacks, as well as eliminate sugary drinks and fruit juices to improve blood sugar and weight management.

The authors of the new report found variation in results between previous studies analyzed, which may be attributed to different dietary and physical activity factors presented in each study. Despite the variations, the Mediterranean diet has consistently improved Blood pressure levels and lipid profiles, López-Gil said, can reduce the risk of cardiometabolic problems later in life, such as heart attacks, strokes and diabetes.

The researchers were surprised to find no evidence of effects on glucose and insulin levels, López-Gil said. The Mediterranean diet’s impact on these health factors may be less pronounced or take longer to have an effect, he added. The study looked at outcomes in children who followed the diet for eight to 40 weeks.

“We’ll need to do more studies in children in particular,” Berger said, “but looking at these studies suggests the…beneficial effects of the so-called Mediterranean diet and everything associated with it.”

Further research should include larger samples and more diverse populations as well as longitudinal studies to assess the long-term effects of the Mediterranean diet on children’s cardiometabolic health, López-Gil said.

“The growing body of research shows that the value (of the Mediterranean diet) is the same for children and adolescents (as it is for adults),” Muth said. “One of the most effective steps a parent can take to help improve their children’s nutrition is to commit to regular family meals and try to prepare foods at home as often as possible. The more children are exposed to fruits, vegetables and fish, the more likely they are to try them and like them.”