The Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean diet does not involve a specific standard diet, rather it refers to the traditional eating habits in the countries bordering the Mediterranean sea1. 16 countries border the Mediterranean, and each of them contributes to the diet’s eating styles through their differences in culture, ethnic background, religious views, economy, geography, and agricultural production1. However, there are a core set of factors that the diet revolves around: 

• High intake of fruit, vegetables, bread, whole grains, potatoes, beans, nuts, and seeds. 
• Low/moderate intake of dairy products, eggs, fish, and poultry. 
• Olive oil is the primary source of fat. 
• Minimal intake of processed food, refined grains, and added sugar. 

For protein intake, fish and poultry are more often consumed than red meat.1 Wine is consumed in low/moderate amounts on this diet and is typically consumed with meals. When having dessert, fruit is a common choice in place of baked sweets. 

Should I Follow the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean diet is continually ranked as one of the best diets in the U.S. News and World Report each year and is recommended by several health organizations – but does that really mean it will benefit me?

The American Heart Association (AHA) states that following a Mediterranean-style diet can help you achieve a healthy eating pattern through1: 

• Emphasizing a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and legumes. 
• Low-fat or fat-free dairy products, fish, poultry, and nuts. 
• Eliminating and/or reducing adding sugar, sugary beverages, sodium, processed food, refined carbohydrates, saturated fat, and processed meat. 

Research has shown that following the Mediterranean diet can significantly contribute to preventing many chronic diseases: 

• This diet has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke. One study compared the its effects to a low-fat diet and reported that the Mediterranean diet was more effective at slowing the progression of plaque buildup in the arteries, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.2
• Multiple studies have found that the this diet can help protect against diabetes by reducing fasting blood sugar levels, improving levels of hemoglobin A1C, and reducing insulin resistance.3

Are There Other Health Benefits?

Your eating patterns impact all aspects of your health, even including brain health. According to the American Stroke Association, 80% of brain disease can be linked to cardiovascular disease.4 A healthy eating pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet, can improve your ability to remember and process information as you age. 

• A large review found that healthy older adults following this diet exhibited improvements related to cognitive function, memory, attention, and processing speed.5

The Bottom Line

The Mediterranean diet is a diet lifestyle that has been around for several years and has shown to benefit all aspects of health, especially heart and brain health. Tailoring your diet to include more of the factors that are in line with this type of diet is a great way to start following a heart-healthy eating pattern. You can adapt the principles in a way that is sustainable and works for you. 

Regardless if you are following the diet or not, including more nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, and lean protein while limiting “empty calorie” food (food with little nutrition) will greatly increase your overall health. 

Sources: 

1. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/mediterranean-diet
2. Jimenez-Torres, J., Alcalá-Diaz, J. F., Torres-Peña, J. D., Gutierrez-Mariscal, F. M., Leon-Acuña, A., Gómez-Luna, P., Fernández-Gandara, C., Quintana-Navarro, G. M., Fernandez-Garcia, J. C., Perez-Martinez, P., Ordovas, J. M., Delgado-Lista, J., Yubero-Serrano, E. M., & Lopez-Miranda, J. (2021). Mediterranean Diet Reduces Atherosclerosis Progression in Coronary Heart Disease: An Analysis of the CORDIOPREV Randomized Controlled Trial. Stroke, 52(11), 3440–3449. https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.03321.
3. Sleiman, D., Al-Badri, M. R., & Azar, S. T. (2015). Effect of mediterranean diet in diabetes control and cardiovascular risk modification: a systematic review. Frontiers in public health, 3, 69. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2015.00069
4. https://www.stroke.org/en/about-stroke/stroke-risk-factors/strokes-and-brain-health
5. Loughrey, D. G., Lavecchia, S., Brennan, S., Lawlor, B. A., & Kelly, M. E. (2017). The Impact of the Mediterranean Diet on the Cognitive Functioning of Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 8(4), 571–586. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.117.015495