Medtronic Lawsuit Attorneys, Williams Kherkher

The Mediterranean Diet and Heart Health

There are a number of heart-healthy eating plans available for people who want them. One of the best known and most beneficial is the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet incorporates all of the basics of healthy eating but adds in a splash of flavorful (and beneficial) olive oil and a glass of red wine. It gets its name because the diet used is characteristic of the traditional cooking styles of countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

Healthy diets in general include fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains and restrict the consumption of unhealthy fats. These parts of a healthy diet remain tried-and-true; subtle variations and differences in proportions of certain foods may make a difference in your risk of heart disease.

The Mediterranean diet is believed to reduce a person’s risk of heart disease. A 2007 study conducted in the United States found that both men and women who consumed a Mediterranean diet lowered their risk of death due to both heart disease and cancer.

The key components of the Mediterranean diet are:

• Eating generous amounts of fruits and vegetables
• Consuming primarily healthy fats like olive and canola oils
• Eating small portions of nuts
• Drinking red wine, in moderation
• Consuming small quantities of red meat
• Eating fish on a regular basis

The Mediterranean diet includes fruits, vegetables, pasta, and rice. Residents of Greece typically eat very little red meat while they do average nine servings of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. This helps reduce the amount of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This is good since LDL cholesterol is the “bad” cholesterol that is more likely to build up deposits in the arteries.

Whole grains in the Mediterranean region are usually whole grain. They include very little trans fats and bread is important. Throughout the Mediterranean region, bread is eaten without butter or margarine, both of which contain saturated or trans fats.

Overall, the focus of the diet is not to limit the total amount of fat consumed but rather to make wise choices about the types of fats that are eaten.

In general, the Mediterranean diet is similar to the American Heart Association’s Step 1 diet. The biggest difference is that the Mediterranean diet has less cholesterol and more fats. These fats, though, are healthy fats. They include monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) and polyunsaturated fats which contain linolenic acid. These two types of fat are found in canola oil and walnuts.

Fish, which is another source of omega-3 fatty acids, is eaten on a regular basis throughout the Mediterranean region. Omega-3 fatty acids are excellent as they lower the number of triglycerides and improve the health of blood vessels. The Mediterranean diet contains very few saturated fats and hydrogenated oils.

Contact a Medtronic Lawyer

If you have been given a Medtronic ICD with SprintFidelis leads, contact the Medtronic attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 800-761-3187 to discuss the potential hazards and to determine your legal options.