Fats Found In Mediterranean Diet Making You Gain Weight? Experts Weigh In

Some health enthusiasts fear that the Mediterranean diet can make people gain weight due to its fatty food content like nuts and olive oil, which are the common ingredients of this food fad. A study, however, debunked these beliefs and argued that the Mediterranean diet is actually helping obese or overweight people lose weight.

The research, which was conducted by experts from the University of Barcelona, found that people who follow the Mediterranean diet have a 42 percent fat intake reduction after eating meals rich in olive oil and nuts for five years. Participants of the study have a weight loss average of about two pounds, according to The Huffington Post.

Dr. Ramon Estruch, the study's lead author, said not all fats have the same effects on the human body. Vegetable fats, for instance, don't work the same as fats derived from animal sources. Extra virgin olive oil and nuts even help people lose weight when eaten in healthy diets like the Mediterranean diet, Fox News reported.

A Mediterranean diet includes high intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains, and avoids processed food and sugar. The diet favors lean sources of protein like chicken and fish instead of red meat, which has the more dangerous saturated fat.

Mediterranean Diet Make You Conscious Of The Fat You Consume

According to the Mayo Clinic, the Mediterranean diet's effects don't just focus on controlling fat intake. Instead, it makes people conscious of the type of fat they eat and helps them stay away from saturated fats and hydrogenated oils that can lead to heart problems.

The Mediterranean diet even has more success in making people lose weight than the low-fat diet, which requires a person to avoid all kinds of fat, CNN reported. Of course, diet isn't the sole responsible for weight loss. Other lifestyle choices such as exercise and staying away from smoking and drinking can also aid in helping people lose weight.

Breast Cancer Prevented By Mediterranean Diet?

A recent study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, found that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of breast cancer returning in women. Females who follow the Mediterranean diet laden with extra virgin olive oil have a 68 percent reduced risk of developing breast cancer, NY Daily News reported.

There are also assumptions that the 5:2 diet can help lessen the risk of breast cancer in women. The 5:2 diet is based on eating a normal healthy diet for five days of the week and a fasting diet (500-calorie intake for women and 600 for men) for the remaining two days, according to NHS.