After six weeks
The goal of the diets was to see which one generated the greatest benefit to health based on common markers of good health, such as cholesterol levels, liver function tests, and body mass index (a weight:height ratio which can be useful to determine if you’re carrying extra fat weight).
Blood cholesterol, along with blood sugar and blood pressure, all affect artery health. Damaged arteries can cause heart attacks or stroke. We measured three types of cholesterol in this trial:
Total cholesterol – a global value. Ideal levels less than 5 mmol/l
LDL cholesterol – ‘bad’ cholesterol made from saturated fat in our diet. A large fat ball that takes long to clear from the bloodstream and can deposit cholesterol into arteries, causing them to furr up. A value of less than 3 mmol/l is considered ideal
HDL cholesterol – ‘good’ cholesterol, made by our bodies from bad cholesterol can ‘hoover up’ cholesterol deposits, preventing cholesterol damage to the blood vessel walls. A level of HDL cholesterol greater than 1.5mmol/l is considered protective against heart disease and stroke.
Two other tests were measured as well. One was the anti-oxidant capacity of the blood, given our general interest in how anti-oxidant status may protect us from cell damage and perhaps the age-related illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimers disease and AMD (age-related macular degeneration) blindness. What became obvious throughout the diet trials was that it did not matter what the celebrities ate, their anti-oxidant status remained constant. This remained true even for those, such as Darren, who increased his normal 5-a-day fruit and veg intake by even more. This clearly demonstrates that the body can absorb anti-oxidant substances from our diet, but there comes a ‘ceiling’ at which we have ample and need no more. This is reassuring for most of us that try to eat a varied diet that we are on the right track regarding our anti-oxidant status.
The second, slightly unusual blood test we measured was vitamin D. Vitamin D is an important hormone-type vitamin that not only helps us use dietary calcium for healthy bones, but is an incredibly important vitamin that boosts our immune system and may help protect us against certain cancers and illnesses such as insulin-dependent diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as general aches and pains such as fibromyalgia. 95% of our vitamin D is made from the effect of peak hours (mid-day) sunlight on bare skin, without sunblock. You need only 5-10 minutes of bare arms to generate a substantial amount of vitamin D. Yet our ‘safe sun’ messages means we are avoiding the sun, so we’re not making much vitamin D to store for the winter months.
Vitamin D is only found in animal and fish products, or in fortified foods. It is currently impossible to get the minimum 10 micrograms of vitamin D needed daily if you stay out of the sun or wear higher than factor 8 sunblock from diet alone. Many authorities are now suggesting that if you avoid the sun your dietary intake should be at least 25 micrograms a day. Rich sources are fish liver oils, and animal liver. Egg yolks, fortified margarine, children’s fromage frais and own-brand breakfast cereals and vitamin supplements are additional sources of vitamin D.
Darker skinned people, whether naturally or tanned, will make less vitamin D due to reduced penetration of the suns rays through the skins layers. You can not make vitamin D through clothing, either.
Overweight and obese people have lower blood levels of vitamin D, not because they tend to cover up more when outside, but that their vitamin D gets locked away in the body fat stores and so doesn’t circulate as it should in the bloodstream.
Overall, the Mediterranean-STYLE of eating came out best – not only for correcting cholesterol, boosting vitamin D and improving cholesterol profile, but also for helping Darren lose a phenomenal amount of weight, keeping fit in the process.
If Linda and Cheryl had managed to stick to their respective diets they, too, would probably have seen similar benefits.
