Nordic diet can prevent obesity: Study

Nordic diet, which consists of berries, veggies, fish, whole grains, and rapeseed oil, has been recognized as extremely healthy, tasty, and sustainable.

Until now, the health benefits attributed to a Nordic diet by researchers primarily focused on weight loss. But in a new analysis conducted by the University of Copenhagen, researchers found that a Nordic diet can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as lower blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.

The study was published in the journal, 'Clinical Nutrition'.

"It's surprising because most people believe that positive effects on blood sugar and cholesterol are solely due to weight loss. Here, we have found this not to be the case. Other mechanisms are also at play," explained Lars Ove Dragsted, a researcher and head of the section at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports.

Together with researchers from Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland, Dragsted examined blood and urine samples from 200 people over the age of 50, all with elevated BMI and increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The participants were divided into two groups -- one provided foods according to Nordic dietary recommendations and a control group on their habitual diet. After six months of monitoring, the result was clear.

"The group that had been on the Nordic 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 regulation of glucose, compared to the control group. We kept the group on the Nordic diet weight stable, meaning that we asked them to eat more if they lost weight. Even without weight loss, we could see an improvement in their health," explained Lars Ove Dragsted.

Instead of weight loss alone, the researchers point to the unique composition of fats in a Nordic diet as a possible explanation for the significant health benefits.

"By analyzing the blood of participants, we could see that those who benefited most from the dietary change had different fat-soluble substances than the control group. These are substances that appear to be linked to unsaturated fatty acids from oils in the Nordic diet. This is a sign that Nordic dietary fats probably play the most significant role for the health effects seen here, which I hadn't expected," said Lars Ove Dragsted.

Fats in the Nordic diet come from fish, flaxseeds, sunflower, and rapeseed (Canola), among other things. As a whole, they constitute a very beneficial mix for the body, although the researchers have yet to accurately explain why these fats seem to lower both blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

"We can only speculate as to why a change in fat composition benefits our health so greatly. However, we can confirm that the absence of highly processed food and less saturated fat from animals have 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 considerable part of the explanation for the health effects we find from the Nordic diet, even when the weight of participants remains constant," concluded Lars Ove Dragsted.

The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations were adopted by dietary experts in 2012 and will be updated this year.

The diet is adapted to the Nordic countries: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland. The diet is based on ingredients that are produced locally and are thereby 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 rapeseed, sunflower, or flaxseed. Finally, low-fat dairy products are also recommended, as well as a significantly smaller proportion of meat than currently consumed.

The diet contributes to important fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and plant materials that have a positive effect on our health and, among other things, reduce the risk of blood clots, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, as well as cardiovascular disease in general.

The researchers stressed that weight loss, which frequently results from a Nordic dietary pattern, remains very important for the diet's overall health benefits.

"This study simply shows that it is not only weight loss that leads to the benefits of this diet. The unique composition of fats plays an important role as well," concluded Lars Ove Dragsted.