The Mediterranean Diet and Firefighters

The Mediterranean diet is rich in fish, nuts, vegetables, and fruits and previous studies have linked it to a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. However, these studies tend to focus on an older population, patients with existing health problems, and people who live in Mediterranean countries. In this study, the participants were firefighters living in the Mid-Western United States. The firefighters who most adhered to the diet had a 35% decreased risk for metabolic syndrome and were 43% less likely to gain weight compared with those who least followed the diet.
PLOS ONE, February 2014