Healthy Mediterranean Diet

The traditional Mediterranean diet describes a plant-based eating pattern that emphasizes whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, yogurt, nuts, olives and seafood. It originated in parts of Spain, northern Africa, Italy, Greece, France and the Middle East. Specific foods vary by country, but characteristics common to each have contributed to what has become the modern Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean eating plan may be a preventive diet for heart disease, strokes, cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Identification

The Mediterranean region produces large supplies of fresh fruits and vegetables that are available nearly year round and consumed in abundance. These and other staples such as red wine, bread, olive oil, nuts and legumes (beans and lentils) are foods typical of the Mediterranean diet. In addition, this diet is rich in fish and other seafood. In addition to the above mentioned foods, the bulk of the diet comes from other plant foods such as whole grains, pasta, polenta (from corn), bulgur, couscous (from wheat), rice and potatoes. Dairy products (such as cheese and yogurt) are consumed in small amounts daily. Eggs, poultry and especially red meat and sweets are consumed less frequently.

Heart-Healthy Fats

The Mediterranean diet is slightly higher in total fat than is recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (30 percent or less calories from fat). Total calories from fat for this eating style is 35 to 40 percent calories from fat; however, the type of fat is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, primarily from nuts, seeds, olives, olive oil and fish. The Mediterranean diet is low in saturated fat, however. Because it is rich in healthy fats as well as dietary fiber, this diet helps to decrease low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad cholesterol," and to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol.

Cardio-Protective Nutrients

Magnesium and calcium-rich whole grains, nuts, leafy greens and yogurt and potassium-rich fruits and vegetables help reduce blood pressure, decreasing the risk of stroke. In addition, fruits and vegetables are rich in folate, which decreases the amount of circulating homocysteine in the bloodstream (an amino acid that increases the risk of developing heart disease). A study published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease in January 2010 investigated the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and the incidence of cardiovascular events in middle-aged Spanish adults. The conclusion was that there is an inverse association between diet adherence and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Cancer Prevention

Following the Mediterranean diet may be protective against the development of several types of cancer. Because it is rich in fish, fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats and processed foods, it offers more beneficial nutrients than the traditional American diet. Antioxidants and phytochemicals, disease-fighting nutrients found in plant foods, offer protection against cellular damage (which may lead to tumor formation). According to an article published in Nutrition and Cancer in late 2009, several micronutrients (vitamins and minerals, such as folate) and food components (phytochemical groups flavonoids and carotenoids) show an inverse relationship with overall cancer risk.

Type 2 Diabetes

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal in May 2008, following a traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes substantially. Over 13,000 graduates from the University of Navarro, Spain (with no history of diabetes), were tracked over a median of 4.4 years using in-depth food frequency questionnaires measuring their entire diets, including the use of oils and fats. The conclusion of this study was that a high adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet was associated with an 83 percent relative reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.