The Nordic diet and its benefits: what are the ‘key’ foods and how does it differ from the Mediterranean

A recent study ensures that the so-called Nordic diet is beneficial to health in that it improves weight, blood pressure and therefore LDL cholesterol (known as bad cholesterol). According to this research, some of the main staples of the Nordic diet (such as whole grains and oily fish) are related to reducing the risk of heart disease. What is the Nordic diet based on The Nordic diet was born in 2004 created by a group of nutritionists and experts to combat obesity. It is based on seasonal and local products, betting on the consumption of red fruits (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries), vegetables (such as carrots, turnips, cabbages, beets or cabbage), fatty fish (salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel), as well as unrefined whole grains (such as rye, barley, and oats). In this diet, moderate consumption of dairy products such as yogurt or cheese, as well as eggs and game meat, is recommended. They also avoid processed foods, sugary products or additives. The oil they propose is rapeseed oil. Therefore, the permitted foods are: Wild fruits Fatty fish Legumes (lentils, chickpeas) Tubers (potatoes, beets, carrots) Whole grains and cereals Low-fat dairy products Rapeseed oil Herbs and spices What should not only be eaten occasionally or in moderation are: Red meat Eggs Cheese Yogurt Seafood The forbidden foods are: Processed foods Sugary soft drinks Fast food both resort to foods that can be obtained more easily in the geographical areas where they are born. The Nordic, as its name indicates, occurs in Nordic regions (Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Finland), which are areas where fatty fish prevails over meat and there is a greater commitment to wild fruits compared to citrus fruits typical of Mediterranean diet. In addition, the Nordics prefer canola or rapeseed oil over olive oil. That is to say, by an oil of vegetable origin that they obtain from seeds such as the germ. In the Mediterranean, it is also recommended to eat dairy products on a daily basis as well as to consume vegetables such as onions, courgettes, peppers or tomatoes, which do not occur as much in the Nordic areas. . More meat is also consumed than in the Nordic diet. Is one diet better than another? Experts think not. The two diets have beneficial properties and deficiencies and actually depend on different lifestyles. It is not the same to live in countries so far north with fewer hours of sun and cold, and where other types of food are grown, than in those of the Mediterranean area. Food has to take these circumstances into account. In any case, according to the WHO, both the Mediterranean diet and the Nordic diet are examples of how cultural resources can be used in a beneficial way for health.