Overview
Mediterranean diet is one of the most popular and healthiest diets in the world currently. It puts emphasis on consumption of fruits, legumes, whole grains and vegetables (plant-based foods and healthy fats). It has various health benefits, and is associated with healthier living and prevention of diseases such as cardiovascular events and other chronic illnesses.
Among these health benefits is lower risk of developing:
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Parkinsonism
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Various forms of cancer
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
What is a Mediterranean diet?
Basically, consuming a Mediterranean diet simply means embracing the diet which natives in the Mediterranean region traditionally ate.
In this diet, an individual focuses on taking in patterns instead of following strict patterns.
The components of a Mediterranean diet vary from region to region because of differences in:
- Ethnicity
- Geography
- Economy
- Agricultural production
- Culture
Features
- Generally, common features of a Mediterranean diet are:
- Low to modest quantities of meat and dairy.
- Very low amounts of processed foods or sugars.
- Abundance of vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, fish and olive oil.
Foods List
The Mediterranean diet foods list consists of fruits, grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, tubers and even vegetables.
Fruits:
- Avocados
- Strawberries
- Pears
- Pomegranate
- Cherries
- melons
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Peaches
- Dates
- Figs
Grains:
- Brown rice
- Wild rice
- Millet
- Barley
- Whole-grain bread and pasta
- Oats
- Buckwheat
Nuts, seeds and legumes:
- Walnuts
- Macadamia nuts
- Cashewnuts
- Pumpkin seeds
- Brazilnuts
- Favabeans
- Almonds
- Kidney beans
- Green beans
- Sunflower seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Lentils
- Hazelnuts
Vegetables and tubers:
- Eggplant
- Cabbage
- Tomatoes
- Turnips
- Brussels sprouts
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Okra
- Kale
- Eggplant
- Cucumber
- Broccoli
- Beets
Fish and other seafood:
- Sardines
- Salmon
- Crab
- Oysters
- Tuna
- Trout
- Mackerel
- Shrimp
Dairy:
- Milk
- Yoghurt
- Cheese
Healthy fats:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Avocado oil
Foods to limit
Foods to limit when embracing a Mediterranean diet include:
Trans fats such as those found in margarine and fried foods.
Refined grains such as white bread.
Processed meat like hot dogs and sausages.
Added sugar. This is found in many processed foods and drinks such as ice cream, cookies and soda.
Benefits
What are the benefits of consuming a Mediterranean diet?
There are several benefits that are associated with taking a Mediterranean diet, and they include:
- Supporting and maintaining a healthy body weight. Healthy body weights are associated with normal body mass index (BMI) ranges.
- Lower risk of metabolic syndrome.
- Low risk of certain forms of cancer.
- Maintaining healthy levels of blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Lower risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
- Maintain a healthy and normal distribution of gut microbiota within the digestive system.
The Mediterranean diet is associated with the benefits mentioned above because it:
- Favors foods that are rich in roughage and antioxidants. Antioxidants clear free radicals while fibers help prevent constipation by moving wastes smoothly through the large intestine (colon).
- Limits sodium intake. Excessive consumption of foods rich in sodium can e=raise blood pressure and increase the risk of stroke.
- Limits refined carbohydrates which can lead to spikes in blood sugars.
- Limits saturated and trans fats. Too much saturated fats raise low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis. Trans fats do not have health benefits.
- Encourages intake of healthy unsaturated fats such as omega-3 fatty acids. Unsaturated fats promote healthy cholesterol levels and fight inflammation.
Conclusion
- Health experts highly recommend embracing a Mediterranean diet because of various healthy benefits which with it is associated.
- The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends this diet because;
- It lowers risk factors such as diabetes, obesity and high blood cholesterol levels.
- Prevents stroke and heart disease.