Polymeal diet

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The Polymeal diet is a nutritional concept that was developed by scientists at the Erasmus University Rotterdam in 2004 and is somewhat similar to the nutritional recommendations of the so-called Mediterranean diet . A diet according to the Polymeal Plan should lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease and increase life expectancy by several years.

A polymeal consists of the daily consumption of

  • 150 ml red wine (32%) - 170 kcal
  • 100 g dark chocolate min. 70% cocoa content (21%) - 590 kcal
  • 400 g of fruits and vegetables (21%) - 140–250 kcal
  • 2.7 g of garlic (25%) - 4 kcal
  • 68 g almonds (12.5%) - 475 kcal
  • and four times a week 114 grams of fish , better saltwater fish (14%) - 220 kcal

(In brackets is the percentage by which the risk of cardiovascular disease falls).

A polymeal has around 1600 kcal , 65 g carbohydrates / 6 BE , 110 g fat and 50 g protein per day .

Those who follow the nutritional advice should be able to reduce their risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 76 percent. However, this information only applies to the strict adherence to the diet plan. If individual components are left out or not eaten daily, the effect is reduced, according to the scientists, in some cases significantly, most of all when not using red wine, namely to 65 percent.

Polymeal is an alternative to the so-called Polypill , a drug made up of six different drugs that was developed by English doctors to prevent heart attacks. It is said to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke after the age of 55 by 80 percent. However, it can have side effects.

The composition of the Polymeal is based on the analysis of scientific literature from nutritional research and mathematical models, so it is not based on our own empirical studies. The findings of the Framingham Heart Study were the main basis .

Researchers have statistically calculated the possible effect of the Polymeal diet on life expectancy using life expectancy tables and the results of previous studies. According to this, men could increase their general life expectancy by 6.6 years, women by 4.8 years. However, these calculations only apply to non-smokers.

rating

  • The Polymeal recommendations are based on theoretical assumptions, not on a controlled study. The statements on the prophylaxis of diseases and life expectancy are only prognoses that have not been verified .
  • Both red wine and cocoa contain flavonoids . Study results show that these substances have a reducing effect on the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, the cocoa content in chocolate must be at least 70 percent.
  • If the dietary recommendations are followed, continuous weight gain can be expected, provided that the actual energy requirements of the body are exceeded. 100 grams of chocolate a day corresponds to one bar. 100 grams of dark chocolate have around 590 kilograms of calories and contain around 50 grams of fat .
  • Both red wine and chocolate can promote constipation if there is a corresponding tendency .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ OH Franco, L. Bonneux, C. de Laet, A. Peeters, EW Steyerberg, JP Mackenbach: The Polymeal: a more natural, safer, and probably tastier (than the polypill) strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease by more than 75% . In: BMJ. Volume 329, number 7480, December 2004, pp. 1447-1450, doi : 10.1136 / bmj.329.7480.1447 , PMID 15604180 , PMC 535974 (free full text) (review).
  2. ↑ a b Medical information: Polymeal lowers heart attack risk (2005)
  3. ↑ a b Heart Foundation: How healthy is chocolate? (PDF; 61 kB)