Mediterranean Diet - Cheerful and Healthy

Eating a mediterranean-style diet not only lowers the risk of heart attacks, strokes and certain cancers, but may also reduce the risk of developing depression by almost a third.

So by adopting a mediterranean style diet you can be healthier and more cheerful!

A Spanish study looked at the eating habits of more than 10,000 healthy people over roughly 4.5 years. It was found that eating a diet high in unsaturated fats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, legumes and cereals reduced the risk of developing depression by more than 30 per cent overall when compared with ignoring the dietary rules of a mediterranean diet. (See below for a description of this diet). This lowering of risk was still present when other mood-boosting effects were taken into account (such as being married, having children, leading a healthy lifestyle and personality traits).

Also, the researchers found that the reduction in risk of depression was directly related to:

• eating more fruit
• eating more nuts
• changing the oils and fats you eat so that you eat more unsaturated fat compared with saturated fat
• eating more (for example peas, beans, peanuts, carob, lentils and soy).

The study's authors say that the results of their research are encouraging, but more studies will be needed to confirm the positive effects of a mediterranean diet.

A mediterranean-style diet is one that:

• encourages regular exercise to help with weight control and give your heart a good workout
• features large amounts of fruits and vegetables instead of other foods
• uses unsaturated fats (such as olive oil) instead of saturated ones (such as butter, ghee or lard)
• cuts out salt from cooking by using herbs and spices instead
• encourages eating small amounts of nuts regularly (for example having a handful as a snack once a day)
• allows you to drink red wine in small amounts
• has very little red meat
• adds at least two fish or shellfish meals to your weekly diet.

Induced Births Recommended for Women with High Blood Pressure

As reported today a study from the Netherlands suggests that pregnant women with high blood pressure or mild pre-eclampsia should have an induced birth after 37 weeks to avoid further complications such as eclampsia, HELLP syndrome or maternal death.

Roughly 6-8% of pregnant women in the UK have high blood pressure or high blood pressure problems such as pre-eclampsia. For more information about read this blood pressure and pregancy.

The HYPITAT study looked at 756 pregnant women who were 36-41 weeks into their pregnancies in the Netherlands who had either high blood pressure or mild pre-eclampsia. The women were then either given an induced labour after 37 weeks or were not given a medical intervention (but followed closely in case treatment was needed).

• Of the pregnant women who were induced, 31% developed further medical problems
• Of the expectant mums who were not induced, 44% developed further medical problems.

This means that being induced at 37 weeks seems to reduce the risk of further complications by 29% for pregnant women who have either high blood pressure or mild pre-eclampsia. (No women or babies in either group died during the study.)

Also, fewer pregnant women in the induced group needed a caesarian section when compared with the "no intervention" group.

The study's authors have recommended that women who have high blood pressure (and a diastolic pressure of 95mmHg or higher) or mild pre-eclampsia during their pregnancies should be advised to have their labour induced after 37 weeks.

However, these findings have provoked discussion among health professionals involved in managing and delivering pregnancies. Both the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives have stated that they see this research as helping to add to the knowledge and choices of expectant mothers and that health professionals should always take into account the needs and wishes of individual expectant mothers when making treatment decisions