A Mediterranean diet is a way of eating inspired by the traditional cuisines of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The diet has been associated with many health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease, arthritis, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
The main features of a Mediterranean diet include:
* Eating mostly vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains
* Using olive oil as your main source of fat
* Eating fish and seafood at least twice a week
* Drinking red wine in moderation (optional)
* Limiting meat and dairy intake
research on the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet began in the 1950s. An American doctor named Ancel Keys studied groups of men in different parts of the world who had similar lifestyles but ate different types of food. He noticed that men in southern Italy and Greece had very low rates of heart disease despite eating high-fat diets. This led him to believe that their diet—which we now know as the “Mediterranean Diet”—was responsible for their good health.
Since then, many studies have been conducted on the subject and there is now strong evidence to support the health benefits of following a Mediterranean diet. For example, one large study found that people who followed a Mediterranean diet had a 30% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those who did not follow this type of eating pattern. Another study showed that people following a Mediterranean diet also had a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms dementia.
So what exactly is it about this way of eating that confers these health benefits? Researchers believe it has to do with the combination of healthy fats (such as olive oil), antioxidants (found in abundance in fruits and vegetables), and fiber (found in whole grains) found in abundance in the typical Mediterranean Diet. This unique mix helps protect against chronic diseases by reducing inflammation throughout the body.