MONTREAL – Researchers at the Montreal Heart Institute say they’ve made a breakthrough discovery by pairing a Mediterranean diet with high-intensity, interval exercise. Called the “Montreal combo plate,” researchers say the benefits of the regimen are greater for people who suffer from problems linked to the cardiovascular system.
“In general, the sicker you are, the more you will benefit from the program,” said Dr. Anil Nigam, a preventative cardiologist at the Montreal Heart Institute. “The greatest improvements in blood sugar levels were achieved in the individuals with diabetes, those who had the highest blood sugars.”
Nigam and his team presented these findings at the Vascular 2013 conference at the Palais de Congrès. The one-time conference combines medical experts from four cardiovascular fields. According to organizers, vascular illnesses affect more than 3.7 million Canadians and cost the healthcare system more than $30 billion a year.
The study took place over nine months and involved 70 people. All of the participants were obese; a third were diabetic, a third were pre-diabetic, and another third were not diabetic.
“It seems to have a significant effect in terms of weight loss, blood pressure, and metabolic profile,” said Dr. Douglas Hayami, a researcher involved in the study.
The Mediterranean diet portion of the combo plate involves vegetables, olive and canola oils, and includes proteins like fish and nuts.
The study found an average reduction in weight circumference of eight centimetres and an aerobic fitness improvement of 15 per cent over the nine-month period.
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