'Viking diet', the new rival for the Mediterranean diet?

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In recent days there is a lot of talk about the so-called "Nordic diet".

The reason is that,

, in addition to preventing various cardiovascular diseases and obesity.

Seen this way, it sounds irresistible.

What is true?

Today's 'Nordic diet' is yesterday's 'Viking diet'.

To begin with, the Nordic diet is not a recent invention that someone has pulled out of the sleeve in 2022.

In 2018, the gentlemen of the WHO, who at that time were not as busy as they are now solving pandemics, did a review on diets and

, such as cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular problems, which are often linked to obesity.

So far so good.

What are the key foods in the Nordic diet?

According to the WHO report, the

.

However, there are relevant differences since this diet is

(Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), some of which are less common in our land.

Your proposal includes:

• Green leafy and root vegetables

  including a wide range of cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc.).

• Fresh legumes

  such as bean pods and peas.

• Berries or fruits of the forest

  .

  Apparently Valencian citrus does not grow well in the Baltic countries.

  However, berries or red fruits (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries) are a classic there.

• Whole grains

  .

  Barley, oats or rye break the corduroy.

  By the way, when it comes to eating wholemeal bread, the Nordics beat us by the usual landslide.

• Raw vegetables

  .

• Low Fat Dairy

  .

• Fish, including oily fish

  such as salmon, mackerel, or herring, eaten several times a week.

• And, although this is always controversial, in this diet

  it is proposed to reduce the amount of red meat

  .

  No surprise from the point of view of scientific evidence.

What is the main difference with the Mediterranean diet?

Among all the differences, two are especially significant.

• The first is that "the lords of the north" do not include virgin olive oil in their diet as the fat of choice

  .

  The "Vikings" are not lucky enough to have so many olive trees on their land.

  Instead they propose to use other fats such as rapeseed oil, which, without reaching the sole of the shoe to our virgin olive oil, is unfairly demonized by the fraud that took place in Spain in the eighties.

• The

  second difference is the higher consumption of dairy products

  in these countries.

  In this case, they do have cows there.

  And lots.

Is the Nordic diet really healthier than the Mediterranean?

As we mentioned at the beginning, a new study has been published where it has been observed that:

and they experienced better glucose regulation, compared to the group of control.

Of course, one reads this and thinks: "well, I also want that for myself".

But what

.

In the end, all of these headlines are based on the results of a study on a very small number of people whose conclusions are not the

.

You have to continue investigating.

Maybe the Nordic diet is not for everyone, but 'bad' is not... right?

Of course not.

In fact, if what you are looking for is not to lose weight but

it can be great.

The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids (present in oily fish) to prevent cardiovascular risk are known.

The benefits of this diet are especially due to omega 3 (in addition to the fact that, as a base, the diet has a lot of fruit, vegetables, whole foods...).

Now,

.

Basing the diet on foods such as red fruits and oily fish, which are not exactly cheap, is not within the reach of all pockets.

How do omega 3 manage to prevent cardiovascular disease?

There are several hypotheses.

One of them is the ability of these fatty acids to prevent blood coagulation and thrombosis.

And another is, simplifying a lot, that the omega 3 settles in the walls of the blood vessels, they stay there as much as they like, and they don't let the bad ones occupy them.

And the children?

Could they eat the 'Viking diet' with no problem?

Wouldn't it be a problem for them to eat so much oily fish?

Children up to ten years of age should be prevented from consuming these four

specific species with high mercury content (swordfish, pike, shark and bluefin tuna).

Until recently, the recommendation was to avoid these species only up to three years, but it has been extended to ten.

For their part,

.

So, answering the question of whether it can be an option for children: it depends.

If they eat oily fish species that are not high in mercury, this diet could be an option.

'Viking diet': yes or no?

In my opinion: maybe for the Norwegians yes,

.

Why?

In the first place because it is interesting that we

.

That a man from Cuenca starts to triple his weekly ration of oily fish when he doesn't have salmon nearby or that he sits down to dinner with a tetra-brick of milk on the table when he has never done so in his life, really Has no sense.

Secondly, because a

must be

, that is, the focus must be on plant foods, and not so much on meat or fish.

Legumes

and until we understand it (and implement it) there will always be a long way to go.

The lord of Cuenca has more at hand, and cheaper, lentils.

Where is he going to stop?

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