choice with various potential health benefits. This group of fruits is rich in a class of polyphenols called anthocyanins, whose health effects on hypertension and CVD are well established.
FIGURE 6.2 The Baltic Sea diet pyramid.
Source: Kanerva et al. (2012).
Adherence to the Nordic diet could significantly decrease insulin levels and HOMA‐IR and is associated with a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic BP. Total and LDL‐cholesterol levels are also lower compared with a Western‐type diet. In a model‐based simulation study to find the number of deaths attributable to CVDs that could be prevented or delayed in the Nordic countries, it was found that the most lives could be saved by changes attributable to an increase in fruit and vegetable intakes.
In contrast, the Nordic diet is less effective in reducing inflammation, compared with other healthy dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet. The type of oil (canola oil vs. olive oil) consumed in the Nordic and the Mediterranean diets, respectively, may explain the different effects on inflammation. Overall, studies show that a higher degree of adherence to the Nordic diet is associated with a healthy lifestyle.
The Diet, Cancer, and Health cohort study, conducted in Danish people of both sexes, found that greater compliance with the Nordic dietary pattern was related to lower risk of developing colorectal cancer by 35% among women. It was further indicated that conformity to each component of this dietary pattern was associated with 9% lower risk of colorectal cancer occurrence in female participants. Furthermore, evidence derived from the Swedish Women's Lifestyle and Health cohort revealed that, after approximately two decades of follow‐up, high compliance with the Nordic diet model decreased overall mortality by 18% compared to poor compliance. The studies demonstrated that lower overall mortality rates could be attributed solely to high intake of whole grains, apples, and pears.
Apart from the favorable health effects of the Nordic diet, this dietary pattern encompasses features of eco‐friendliness. Like all plant‐based diets, the Nordic diet employs a small number of natural resources in contrast to meat‐based diets, which have been accused of increasing carbon dioxide production and, thus, carbon footprint. In order for a food to be characterized as “typical” of the Nordic diet, it has to fulfill a list of criteria, such as being produced within the Nordic countries without employing external energy sources, being related to Nordic dietary tradition (such as dark bread, root vegetables, and fish), being superior in terms of health effects compared to other foods of the same food group, and being consumed as food and not only in small amounts as dietary supplement, such as spices.
A detailed description of the Nordic dietary model and a sample menu plan can be found in Appendix B.9.
Take‐Home Messages
The Nordic diet is a plant‐based diet and refers to the dietary pattern recently developed in the Nordic region.
Compared to the Mediterranean and the DASH diets, the Nordic diet differs in the type of recommended oil and the vegetable and fruit choices.
The Nordic diet has been proven to have favorable health effects in controlling weight status and blood glucose and in reducing cardio‐metabolic and inflammatory markers.
A food is characterized as “typical” of the Nordic diet if it fulfills a list of criteria, such as being produced within the Nordic countries, being related to Nordic dietary tradition, superior in terms of health effects compared to other foods of the same food group, and consumed as food and not as dietary supplement.
Self‐Assessment Questions
1 What are the main characteristics of the Nordic diet?
2 What are the main differences of the Nordic diet compared to the Mediterranean and DASH diets?
3 When is a food characterized as typical of the Nordic diet?
The Healthy Asian Diet
Various aspects of the traditional Asian diet are followed by most Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesian, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, South Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Although there are differences between countries, they all have many common food groups or items characteristic of the region.
The Asian diet is primarily characterized by high consumption of rice, foods of plant origin (e.g., soy products), fish and seafood, and fruits and vegetables. This dietary pattern includes fiber in amounts approximately threefold higher than a typical Western diet, whereas the consumption of red meat is usually very low. The majority of foods are boiled, steamed, or grilled without the addition of culinary fat, or fried with minimum quantities of seed oils, or they are consumed raw. Additionally, tea, a common drink among these populations, is drunk without sugar. Adherence to such a dietary pattern guarantees the intake of beneficial fatty acids, while limiting simple sugars and salt. The new Asian diet pyramid (Figure 6.3) was launched by the Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust in 2018.
Key Point
The Asian diet is primarily characterized by high consumption of rice, foods of plant origin (e.g., soy products), fish and seafood, and fruits and vegetables.
The Japanese and the Chinese dietary patterns represent two well‐documented examples of the Asian diet. The “Dietary Guidelines for Japanese” were first published in 2000, and their latest version, namely, the “Japanese food guide spinning top” (Figure 6.4), was launched in 2010.
The illustration of these guidelines resembles the traditional Japanese spinning top toy, i.e., a turned‐upside‐down cone with separated layers displaying different foods. This illustration incorporates the number of servings for each food category.
Each food layer of the inverted cone reflects the frequency that each food should be consumed in a descending order. Cereal‐based dishes, such as rice, noodles, bread, and pasta are on top (five to seven servings/day), followed by vegetable‐based dishes (such as salads, cooked vegetables, and soups; five to six servings) and meat, fish, eggs, and soybean dishes (three to five servings/day). At the bottom of the spinning top are foods that are consumed daily in two servings, namely, fruits and dairy products. Snacks, sweets, and beverages with added sugar should be consumed in moderate doses and not on a daily basis. In addition to nutrition advice, the Japanese health guidelines include hydration and exercise recommendations. A glass of water with the prompt to drink enough water is shown at the highest point of the spinning top, while a man is running around the spinning top to reflect the recommendation for physical activity.
FIGURE 6.3 The Asian diet pyramid.
© 2018 Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust.
