A recent Swedish study revealed that following the Viking diet, a healthy Scandinavian diet, has amazing health benefits.
The study found that this system, rich in fish, vegetables, berries, and legumes, improves blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes, in addition to improving harmful cholesterol levels, and may reduce the accumulation of fats in the liver, known as “metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease," a condition not resulting from excessive alcohol drinking but due to fat accumulation in the liver.
Scientists followed over 100 people over a year, dividing them into 3 groups: a low-carb vegetarian diet, the Viking or healthy Scandinavian diet, and a control group following their usual diet, asking all participants to limit sweetened beverages, sweets, and sugar-rich snacks.
The results showed that the Viking diet reduced liver fat by more than 20% in diabetic patients and improved blood glucose control over the entire year.
More than half of the participants suffering from metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease saw significant improvement or even reversal in their fatty liver condition.
Participants lost weight even while consuming unlimited amounts of the recommended foods, an advantage over some diets that rely strictly on calorie restriction.
Professor Alf Risérus, a nutrition and metabolism expert at Uppsala University, said: "The Viking diet helped reduce liver fats, improve glucose and cholesterol levels, and reduce inflammation, making it an ideal choice for people with diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions."
Dr. Michael Fridén, a researcher at Uppsala University, added: "The results are important because they show that the diet itself, regardless of calorie reduction, can improve liver health and diabetes."
