What is a Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean diet is one of the most researched dietary patterns, and certainly one of the most talked about.

It was originally described in 1960 when researchers found that a dietary pattern from a specific region in the Mediterranean was associated with lower rates of chronic diseases and longer lifespans.¹ This has since been backed up by a considerable amount of research, and the Mediterranean diet continues to this day to be associated with improved health and longer life.

The Mediterranean diet includes:

• An emphasis on fresh, seasonal and minimally processed plant foods including fruit, vegetables, whole grain breads and other cereals, beans, nuts and seeds
• A high intake of foods with healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, seafood and oily fish, such as salmon and sardines
• A moderate intake of dairy products
• Low to moderate intake of poultry and eggs and a low intake of red meat
• Moderate alcohol intake consumed as wine with meals.

The Mediterranean diet also includes regular physical activity and shared meals, which are important for mental and social wellbeing as well as physical health.

Improved heart health

In a study of 75,000 women tracked over 20 years, the Mediterranean diet was found to lower the risk of coronary heart disease by 29 per cent.¹ Another review found that people who followed the Mediterranean diet closely decreased their risk of cardiovascular disease by 20–25 per cent compared to people who did not.²

Diabetes

The Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In long-term studies, following the Mediterranean diet has been shown to lower the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 49 per cent in men and 69 per cent in women. The Mediterranean diet has also been shown to help with achieving control of blood glucose levels in people with existing diabetes.

Cancer

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet long term has been shown to reduce the risk of several cancers, including breast, colorectal, respiratory tract, gastric, bladder, liver, and head and neck cancers.¹ There is also a higher chance of survival from cancer among those who follow the Mediterranean diet. This does not mean that the diet is a cure for cancer – but it can reduce the risk of cancer and improve survival with conventional treatment.

Other health benefits

There are many other known benefits to the Mediterranean diet for health and wellbeing, and many more that we are still learning about. Known benefits include reduced risk of cognitive decline including Alzheimer’s and dementia, reduced blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and increased life expectancy.¹

Because of the emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce and minimally processed foods, the Mediterranean diet may mean a bit of extra planning and organisation if this isn’t something you usually do. This may be challenging for people with limited cooking skills or time for prepping and cooking food from scratch.

The benefits of the diet come from a combination of factors in the overall dietary pattern rather than any one component.³ For example, adding just one thing such as a handful of nuts every day won’t reduce the risks of chronic disease to the extent described above. However, this doesn’t mean giving up on it altogether. Studies that use a score for how much someone is following the Mediterranean diet have found improvements in health outcomes for as little as two points higher in the scores,¹ meaning a couple of small changes may make a positive difference, even if the full benefits aren’t achieved.