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Benefits of a Mediterranean diet

A Mediterranean diet is now widely accepted as one of the most sustainable and healthy ways of eating for a strong immune system and longevity.  The word ‘diet’ would suggest that it is a temporary food plan, however, since the real meaning of the word ‘diet’ means ‘way of life’, that’s exactly what the Mediterranean diet is – a way of life.

The Mediterranean way of eating has existing for thousands of years and was highlighted during the 1960s, when researchers realised that heart disease, cancer and inflammatory diseases were less common in Mediterranean countries than in the U.S. and northern Europe and linked this reduced risk to the type of foods commonly eaten and cooking methods used by these cultures.

Decades later, the Mediterranean diet is one of the eating plans touted by many leading cardiologists in the UK and US since it is a diet that promotes health, longevity of life and helps prevent chronic disease. It’s also recognized by the World Health Organisation as a healthy and sustainable dietary pattern.

For these reasons, the Med diet was ranked number one for the fourth year in a row by a number of health journals and on U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of the best diets.

What Is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean diet can most simply be explained as an eating pattern based on the traditional foods of countries nestled around the Mediterranean Sea, such as Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey.

The largely plant-based diet emphasises foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, lentils along with extra-virgin olive oil and lean proteins.

Research has shown that it has a positive effect on heart and brain health, can help fight inflammation, and may even help you lose weight. However, since it is a ‘diet’ based on a way of life, it isn’t specific about portion sizes or exactly how much olive oil should be consumed in a day. So, for those people that need a prescriptive eating regime, it may be tricky to follow and so not be the best option for everyone if weight loss is the objective.

Philosophically speaking, I believe that if you manage your health and wellbeing, both physical and mental, then the weight looks after itself.  For me, the Mediterranean diet is exactly what is the true meaning of the word ‘diet’ which originates from the Greek meaning “way of life.”  And so it is about lifestyle, and the diet encourages meals to be made at home with fresh and whole-food ingredients.

Picture copyrights: The Domestic Dietician

 

Some of the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

Weight Loss

The Med diet focuses on the social aspect of the meal and the importance of enjoying your food, and it encourages smaller portion sizes than what many people may be accustomed to.  When food tastes great and hits all the nutritional boxes, you are less tempted to keep grazing and therefore potentially may help to lose weight.

According to an August 2019 study in Diabetes Care, which followed nearly 1,500 people for two years, those who followed the Mediterranean diet and managed their type 2 diabetes had better cognitive function than those who followed different diet plans.  The report also concluded that nutritious eating plans like the Mediterranean diet can help improve memory function among adults without diabetes.

Improved Cognitive Function

An April 2020 study in ​Alzheimer’s and Dementia​ looked at 8,000 participants with and without age-related macular degeneration and observed that sticking with the Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment.

In a February 2020, five-country study in the BMJ journal ​Gut, researchers concluded that eating a Mediterranean diet may help curb the advance of cognitive decline and frailty in older adults.

The study found that the diet promotes healthy aging by promoting “good” gut bacteria and reducing inflammation — which brings us to the next benefit.

Reduced Inflammatory Markers

Inflammation is part of your body’s natural reaction to illness or injury. It typically causes symptoms like redness and swelling, and in acute doses, it helps the body heal and repair itself.  However, persistent, low-grade inflammation can be dangerous. It can be caused by a host of factors, from stress, lack of sleep, diet to inactivity, and it can up your risk for serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

But research supports the idea that eating nutritious foods may help reduce chronic inflammation. And indeed, the Mediterranean diet has plenty of anti-inflammatory foods, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes leafy greens, as well as olive oil, nuts, and fish.

Good for your heart

Heart disease is also lower in Mediterranean countries than in the UK and U.S. and one likely reason are that a large percentage of fat in the Mediterranean diet is monounsaturated, from olive oil, which does not raise cholesterol levels the way saturated and trans fats do. (Another possible reason, or at least contributor, may be differences in physical activity.)

A leading US study involving more than 90,000 people over a 24-year period showed that consuming a half-tablespoon of olive oil a day and eating omega-3s or eating more fatty fish is linked to a significantly lower risk for cardiovascular disease.   Whilst BMJ released a meta-analysis that reviewed 121 randomised trials and found that the Med diet helped improve cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol, it was the only diet that continued to improve these factors after a year.

Good for your pocket

The Med diet is rooted in the food traditionally eaten by the less affluent, using vegetables such as onions, carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Other ingredients such as beans, legumes, pasta, and cheese are also relatively inexpensive and widely available most of the year.  The more expensive ingredients may include extra-virgin olive oil, which can be pricier than butter or vegetable oils, and of course fish which tends to be more expensive than the popular chicken.

Conclusion

Since this is a diet in the true sense of the word, the lack of ‘rules’ or ‘guidelines’ may make this diet difficult for some…..  However the research is fairly conclusive – The Mediterranean diet seems to be more sustainable than many others, including paleo and intermittent fasting, and is backed up by research carried out by ​The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The study allowed 250 people to self-select which of the three diets they wanted to follow, then monitor their progress over a year without the help of a dietitian.

Overall, the results showed that people found the Med diet to be the easiest to adhere to, and more people were still following the diet after a year. Plus, the people who stuck with it, in the long run, lost the most weight.

That’s said, like any changes related to health, if you have underlying health conditions you should always consult your GP before starting any new eating plan or making drastic changes.

Here is a quick guide to the key essentials of a Med Diet

Eat mostly:

  • Fruits, such as berries, figs, pomegranates, and grapes
  • Vegetables, such as leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, and onions
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Beans and lentils

Eat-in moderation:

  • Cheese and dairy
  • Wine
  • Lean proteins, such as chicken, fish, and eggs

Limit:

  • Sweets
  • Red meat
  • Processed meats are a no-no

If you would like to know more about ways in which to cook to support a Mediterranean diet then you may wish to look at our Mediterranean Cookery Class.   In this class, you will learn all about the nutrient-dense ingredients that make this diet amongst the healthiest and tastiest in the world and how to incorporate these ingredients into your diet.

 

Visit our blog for more articles and recipes.

 

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