What Are The Essential Features Of A Mediterranean Diet?

The foods favored by Mediterranean cultures contribute to their populations having the world's lowest rates of chronic disease and highest adult life expectancy, according to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Research Services. A Mediterranean diet consists primarily of plant-based foods, and is low in saturated and trans fats and high in heart-healthy omega-3 fats. MayoClinic.com notes that studies suggest this way of eating may reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, among other health benefits.

Plant-Based Foods

A Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant-based foods rather than "meats and sweets," which are at the opposite end of a Mediterranean diet food pyramid, according to MayoClinic.com. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other legumes, nuts and seeds form the basis of every Mediterranean meal, with plenty of herbs and spices added for flavor. Fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants, beans and legumes provide protein, and nuts and seeds provide omega-3 fats and protein.

Healthy Fats

With few exceptions, plants also provide healthy unsaturated fats. Healthy fats provide more than half the calories in Mediterranean diets, according to the American Heart Association. Olive oil is the fat of choice in a Mediterranean diet, but canola oil will suffice. Used for cooking and flavoring foods, olive oil even replaces butter or margarine on bread. The fats in olive oil are monounsaturated and do not raise cholesterol levels as do the saturated fats in butter or margarine.

Fish and Poultry

A Mediterranean diet includes more fish and less meat. When meat is included, it is lean poultry, and not too much of it. The University of Maryland Medical Center points out that in a Mediterranean diet, the balance is healthier between the inflammation-reducing omega-3 fats in fish and plants and the inflammation-inducing omega-6 fats in meat, noting that Americans typically consume 14 to 25 times more omega-6 than omega-3. UMMC also points to studies indicating that two servings of fish each week may reduce the risk of stroke by 50 percent.

Red Wine

Red wine in moderate amounts is also an essential feature of a Mediterranean diet. Red wine contains antioxidants that raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol, which reduces the risk of blood clots and helps maintain a healthy blood pressure. Red wine is not for everyone, but red and purple grape juices may impart the same healthful benefits minus the alcohol, according to Mayo Clinic cardiologist, Dr. Martha Grogan. Moderate consumption of red wine constitutes no more than one glass a day for women and two for men.