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Mediterranean vs. Vegetarian Diet in Alleviating Cardiovascular Diseases

Introduction: Mediterranean and vegetarian diets have been promoted to have beneficial effects in the prevention and alleviation of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and in the maintenance of cardiovascular health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of diet type on CVD symptoms. Case report: A 56-year-old woman suffering from mild CVD, including hypertension, obesity, elevated LDL cholesterol and triglycerides levels, was monitored for her diet habits. The patient was not taking any medications. She followed a Mediterranean, low-calorie diet for 3 months, followed by a 2-month break and a vegetarian low- calorie diet for 3 months. Both diets were isocaloric and the daily intake amounted to 1800 kcal/day. Blood and stool analyses, cardiovascular biomarkers and variables, body composition and weight measurements were performed before and after each diet. Our results showed that both diets reduced CDV symptoms, improved cardiovascular biomarkers, positively affected the body mass index, as well as lowered blood pressure in our patient. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to result in greater reductions of triglyceride levels. The vegetarian diet was found to be more effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels. Conclusion: The data obtained demonstrate beneficial effects and efficacy of both diets in specific areas of cardiovascular disease management. Further scientific studies should be conducted to clarify the effects of diet on cardiovascular health as well as on CVD prevention and alleviation.

Cardiovascular disease ; Diet ; Mediterranean diet ; Vegetarian diet

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