Berries, vegetables, fish, whole grains and canola oil. These are the main ingredients of the Scandinavian diet concept that has been recognized for the past ten years as extremely healthy, tasty and sustainable. The diet can prevent obesity and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
So far, research on the Nordic diet has mainly been associated with the positive health effect of the diet after weight loss. But a new analysis, conducted by researchers from the University of Copenhagen, among others, makes clear that a Nordic diet has positive health benefits, regardless of whether you lose weight or not.
“It is surprising because most people believe that positive effects on blood sugar and cholesterol are only due to weight loss. Here we have found that this is not the case. There are also other mechanisms at play,” explains researcher Lars Ove Dragsted.
Together with researchers from Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland, Dragsted examined blood and urine samples from 200 people over the age of 50, all of whom had an elevated BMI and an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The participants were divided into two groups:one provided with food according to the Nordic dietary recommendations and a control group on their usual diet. After six months of monitoring, the result was clear.
“The group that had been on the Scandinavian diet for six months became significantly healthier, with lower cholesterol levels, lower overall levels of both saturated and unsaturated fat in the blood, and better control of glucose, compared to the control group. We kept the group on the Scandinavian diet weight stable, meaning we asked them to eat more if they lost weight. Even without weight loss, we could see an improvement in their health,” explains Lars Ove Dragsted.
Rather than just weight loss, the researchers point to the unique composition of fats in a Scandinavian diet as a possible explanation for the significant health benefits.
“By analyzing participants' blood, we were able to see that those who benefited most from the diet change had different fat-soluble substances than the control group. These are substances that seem to be related to unsaturated fatty acids from oils in the Scandinavian diet. This is a sign that Norwegian dietary fats probably play the most important role for the health effects I see here, which I did not expect,” says Lars Ove Dragsted.
Fats in the Scandinavian diet include fish, linseed, sunflower and rapeseed (Canola). As a whole, they make a very beneficial mix for the body, although the researchers are not yet able to explain exactly why these fats seem to lower both blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
“We can only speculate why a change in fat composition benefits our health so much. However, we can confirm that the absence of highly processed foods and less saturated fats from animals has a very positive effect on us. So the fat composition in the Nordic diet, which is higher in omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fats, is probably a significant part of the explanation for the health effects we find from the Nordic diet, even if the weight of the participants was constant. stays,” concludes Lars Ove Dragsted.
The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations were adopted by nutritionists in 2012 and will be updated this year.
The diet is adapted to the Scandinavian countries:Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland. The diet is based on ingredients that are locally produced and therefore sustainable.
Recommended foods include vegetables such as peas, beans, cabbage, onions, and root vegetables, as well as fruits, including apples, pears, plums and berries. Also recommended are nuts, seeds, whole grains, fish and shellfish, as well as vegetable oils made from canola, sunflower or linseed. Finally, low-fat dairy products are also recommended, as well as a significantly smaller proportion of meat than is currently consumed.
The diet contributes to important fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and vegetable substances that have a positive effect on our health and, among other things, the risk of blood clots, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure.
essure and cholesterol levels, as well as cardiovascular disease in general.
The researchers emphasize that weight loss, which is often the result of a Nordic diet, remains very important for the overall health benefits of the diet.
“This study simply shows that it's not just weight loss that leads to the benefits of this diet. The unique composition of fats also plays an important role,” says Lars Ove Dragsted.
