The Mediterranean diet, renowned for its numerous health benefits for adults, might also significantly improve children’s heart health, according to a recent study. Published in JAMA Network Open, the study analyzed nine previous studies involving 577 children aged 3 to 18. The findings revealed that following the Mediterranean diet for at least eight weeks led to notable reductions in blood pressure and total cholesterol levels.
The study highlights the importance of instilling healthy dietary habits early in life to prevent cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders such as high blood pressure and diabetes, which often originate in childhood. Dr. José Francisco López-Gil, the study’s lead author and a senior researcher with the One Health Research Group at the University of the Americas in Quito, Ecuador, emphasized the long-term impact of early dietary habits on health outcomes.
“The key takeaway for parents is the importance of promoting a diet rich in whole foods and healthy fats to optimize their children’s health and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases,” López-Gil stated.
Dr. Stuart Berger, division head of pediatric cardiology at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, noted that the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for adults’ cardiometabolic health make the findings unsurprising but underscore the importance of unprocessed foods for all age groups. The Mediterranean diet, characterized by plant-based cooking and healthy fats, includes fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts, whole grains, lean meats, and fish.
Dr. Natalie Muth, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, highlighted the need to increase “real foods” in children’s diets while reducing highly processed foods with added sugars and sodium. “We know that calories from ultraprocessed foods make up about 70% of a typical teenager’s intake. Any change that can lower intake of things like chips, cookies, and sodas and increase intake of fruits and vegetables is a big win,” said Muth, who is also a pediatrician and registered dietitian at the WELL Clinic at Children’s Primary Care Medical Group in San Diego.
It’s essential to consider children’s preferences and cultural traditions when making dietary changes, Muth added. Age-appropriate dietary plans and exercise recommendations from a pediatrician should guide families looking to adopt the Mediterranean diet, noted Berger, a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Family meals play a significant role in the Mediterranean diet, according to Dr. Tamara Hannon, director of the clinical pediatric diabetes program at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis. “Parents need to lead by example by eating using this pattern, offering structured meals and snacks, and exercising daily,” Hannon stated.
Hannon also recommends limiting children’s eating between structured meals and snacks and eliminating sugary beverages and juices to improve blood glucose and weight management.
The study found some variation in results across the analyzed studies due to different factors such as diet and physical activity. Nevertheless, the Mediterranean diet consistently improved blood pressure and lipid profiles, reducing the risk of future cardiometabolic issues like heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes, according to López-Gil.
The researchers were surprised not to find evidence of the diet’s effects on glucose and insulin levels. These effects might be less pronounced or require a longer time frame to manifest, López-Gil suggested. The studies reviewed ranged from eight to 40 weeks in duration.
“We’ll need to do more studies on kids in particular,” Berger said, “but reviewing these studies suggest the beneficial effects of the so-called Mediterranean diet and everything associated with it.”
Future research should include larger, more diverse sample sizes and longitudinal studies to assess the long-term effects of the Mediterranean diet on children’s cardiometabolic health, López-Gil recommended.
“The growing research shows the value of the Mediterranean diet to be the same for children and adolescents as in adults,” Muth said. “One of the most impactful steps a parent can take to help improve kids’ nutrition is to commit to regular family meals and try to prepare foods at home as often as possible. The more kids are exposed to fruits, vegetables, and fish, the more likely they will try them and like them eventually.”
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