Table 1

Comparison of reported food consumption frequencies (servings per month) between the Mediterranean Diet (MD) group and the Control Diet (CD) group.

MD group (n = 26)
 CD group (n = 25)
 P-value*



Time (weeks after dietary shift)
 Time (weeks after start of study)

0
 3
 12
 0
 3
 12
Fish
 6 (6-6)
 16 (6–16)
 16 (16-16)§
 6 (2–6)
 6 (6–16)
 6 (2–6)
 <0.001
Shellfish
 2 (0–2)
 2 (0–6)
 4 (2–6)‡
 2 (0–2)
 2 (0–2)
 2 (0–2)
 <0.001
Meat, minced meat or offal from pig, cattle or sheep
 16 (6–16)
 0 (0-0)
 0 (0-0)§
 16 (6–16)
 6 (6–16)
 6 (6–16)†
 <0.001
Poultry
 2 (2–6)
 16 (6–16)
 11 (6–16)§
 2 (2–6)
 2 (2–6)
 2 (2–6)
 <0.001
Processed meat(not on bread)
 6 (2–6)
 0 (0-0)
 0 (0-0)§
 6 (2–6)
 6 (2–6)
 2 (2–6)
 <0.001
Processed meaton bread
 11 (6–26)
 0 (0-0)
 0 (0-0)§
 16 (2–16)
 6 (4–16)
 6 (2–16)
 <0.001
Cheese with more than 17% fat
 16 (14–26)
 0 (0-0)
 0 (0-0)§
 26 (11–70)
 16 (4–26)
 16 (4–26)
 0.002
Cheese with less than 17% fat
 6 (0–9)
 16 (0–26)
 16 (6–26)‡
 0 (0–4)
 0 (0–6)
 0 (0–11)
 0.005
Dairy products with 27% fat or more
 2 (0–6)
 0 (0-0)
 0 (0-0)‡
 2 (0–6)
 2 (0–6)
 6 (2–6)
 <0.001
Dairy products with 10–15% fat
 2 (0–6)
 0 (0-0)
 0 (0–2)‡
 2 (0–6)
 0 (0–6)
 0 (0–6)
 0.013
Ice cream
 2 (0–6)
 0 (0–0.5)
 0 (0–2)‡
 2 (0–4)
 2 (0–2)
 2 (0–2)
 0.015
Sweets (including chocolate)
 6 (2–16)
 0 (0–2)
 0 (0–2)§
 6 (1–6)
 6 (0–6)
 6 (2–6)
 <0.001
Buns, cookies or cakes
 6 (5–16)
 0 (0–2)
 0 (0–2)§
 6 (2–16)
 6 (2–16)
 6 (2–16)
 <0.001
Nuts
 0 (0–2)
 0 (0–2)
 0 (0–3)
 0 (0–2)
 0 (0–2)
 0 (0–2)
 0.704
Seeds
 0 (0-0)
 0 (0–2)
 0 (0–2)
 0 (0-0)
 0 (0-0)
 0 (0-0)
 0.016

Data are presented as medians (25th–75th percentiles). *The p-values refer to differences between the MD- and the CD group concerning the change from baseline to week 12. Differences between the groups were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Statistically significant change from baseline to week 12: †p < 0.05; ‡p < 0.01; §p < 0.001. Within-group differences in week 12 compared to baseline were evaluated by the Wilcoxon signed ranks test. ¶Including cured meat, sausage, pâté or the like.

Hagfors et al. Nutrition & Metabolism 2005 2:26   doi:10.1186/1743-7075-2-26