The Polymeal Plan



The Polymeal Plan

The polymeal plan was introduced in the British Medical Journal, Dec 2004 as a simple way to reduce the risk of heart disease. Men without cardiovascular disease, following the polymeal plan, might increase life expectancy by 6.6 years, and freedom from cardiovascular disease by 9 years.

The polymeal provides a scientifically proven, cheap, natural, safe and tasty strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease by more than 75%. The polymeal plan means consuming:

• 150 ml of wine daily.

• 114g of fish four times a week.

• 100g of dark chocolate daily.

• 400g of fruits and vegetables daily.

• 2.7g fresh garlic (about one clove).

• 68g per day of almonds.

As the polymeal was introduced in a scientific journal, it does not come with recipes or advice on how to make it part of a healthy diet. For that, you could read Eat Drink and Be Healthy by Walter C. Willett, M.D.. This provides advice on following a scientifically based diet, which incorporates much of the research on which the polymeal is based. And it provides recipes and advice on a much wider range of foods.

The authors of the polymeal paper give the following advice:

• Do not eat less than the recommended amount in the polymeal or its efficacy will be decreased.

• Increasing the amount of most of the ingredients in the polymeal will not have further positive effects, but (except for wine) should not have detrimental effects.

• Omitting the wine would have the biggest detrimental impact on the polymeal's effectiveness, but increasing the wine might bring other problems. 

The BMJ researchers found no other ingredients that had sufficient support to make them essential parts of the polymeal, but gave a favourable mention to: olive oil,  Soya oil, Soya beans, tomatoes, cereals, oat bran, nuts, tea, chickpeas, and others. The team also mentioned walking for half an hour a day as a valuable complement to the polymeal.

As drinking wine is "moreish", and clouds reasoning, adopting a daily ritual may help. For instance, pour out exactly 150ml into a wine glass before the evening meal each day. Then, before drinking it, seal the bottle with a vacuum stopper until the next day. The temptation to "have just another glass" will be stopped by the vacuum stopper, and by reminding yourself that drinking more will destroy the health benefits of the polymeal.

The polymeal recommendations were checked against the Framlington heart study. If a man is alive at age 50, following the polymeal makes it likely he will live past 85. Otherwise he probably wouldn't reach 80. Without the polymeal plan he's likely to come down with cardiovascular disease at 70, when otherwise he is likely to be intact at 80. 

In the original polymeal paper the authors were so confident in the polymeal plan that they said: "redundant cardiologists could be retrained as polymeal chefs and wine advisors". 

 

© Malcolm MacgregorPolymeal

23/12/04

Fruits and Vegetables

You should eat at least 5 portions (400 grams) of fruits and vegetables each day. The American National Cancer Institute recommends 9 portions. Fruits and vegetables are a central part of the polymeal diet. 

Fruits and vegetables, in general, have two vital roles:

• Fruits and vegetables provide fibre. This keeps the digestive system moving and feeds healthy bacteria.

• Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins and minerals. Minerals like selenium, copper and zinc are *antioxidants.

Specific benefits of certain fruits and vegetables include:

• Apples contain pectin, a fibre which  helps stabilise cholesterol and is great for the digestion.

• Pineapples contain bromelin, an aid to protein digestion.

• Apricots are stuffed with beta carotene and iron

• Avocados are rich in almost everything.

• Broccoli and other crucifers are protective against cancer.

• Onions and garlic are good for most things that ail you.

Fruit and vegetables are a key part of Daniel Keyes' Mediterranean diet.

A portion of fruit and vegetables is 80g of edible matter. This amounts to:

• three heaped tablespoons of baked beans.

• three heaped tablespoons of shredded cabbage.

• two clemetines, two kiwi fruit, two rings of tinned pineapple, or three dried apricots.

• one medium onion, tomato, apple, banana or orange.

• one heaped tablespoon of mixed dried fruit.

There are other portions mentioned in the Guardian: The trouble with fruits and vegetables. But the best idea is to get an accurate weighing scale and weigh out 80g of any fruits and vegetables that you eat--it's science, but not rocket science.

Potatoes don't count, and fruit juice only counts for 1 portion however much you drink (fibre is important). For best effects:

• Eat a mixture of different-coloured fruits and vegetables-- cooked is good, but fresh and raw are better.

 

 

Fruits and Vegetables  

Fruits and vegetables: recommended reading

• Eat Drink and Be Healthy by Walter C. Willett, M.D.

• Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver

 

© Malcolm MacgregorFruits and Vegetables

8/1/05

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download