The Benefits of the Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet is quite popular these days as one of the heart-healthy diets that may also help in losing weight. It is also known to reduce the risk of chronic medical conditions such as dementia, depression, and heart disease.
What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is a pattern of eating that is based on the dietary patterns of countries lying on the border of the Mediterranean Sea-Greece, Italy, and Spain. The diet emphasizes more plant-based foods, fish, olive oil, beans, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and poultry.
The main elements of the Mediterranean diet are:
- Fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains (to be eaten daily)
- Fish, eggs, beans, and poultry (weekly intake)
- Dairy products in moderate amount
- Limited consumption of red meat
Some of the other important components of a Mediterranean diet include sharing your meals with friends and family, doing physical activity regularly, and drinking a moderate amount of red wine.
The nutrients present in a Mediterranean diet
Since the focus of a Mediterranean diet is on plant-based foods along with fresh produce; hence, many essential food groups and nutrients are present in it including the following:
Healthy fats: The Mediterranean diet contains a high amount of monounsaturated fat and a low amount of saturated fat. According to health experts, you should limit your consumption of saturated fat to prevent the occurrence of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and high cholesterol.
Fiber: The diet is a rich source of fiber, which not only helps in promoting healthy digestion but also appears to decrease your risk of developing heart disease and bowel cancer. An extra amount of fiber may also help in reducing your risk of developing diabetes type 2.
Minerals and vitamins: Vegetables and fruits are an excellent source of various minerals and vitamins that are essential for the healthy functioning of your body. Moreover, you get a healthy dose of vitamin B12 from the lean meats (this vitamin is scarcely present in a diet that is entirely based on foods derived from plants).
Antioxidants: Antioxidants are the molecules that help in combating the disease-causing free radicals in the body. These include various minerals, vitamins, and certain other molecules and are abundantly present in plant foods.
Low sugar content: Though you get natural sugar from fresh fruits, but the Mediterranean diet has a low amount of added sugar. The latter has a large number of calories and may increase your risk of developing obesity along with its complications.
The benefits of the Mediterranean diet
Some of the health benefits of following a Mediterranean diet are as follows:
It may help in reducing the risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease: Many studies suggest that a Mediterranean diet is good for maintaining your heart health. They indicate that consuming a Mediterranean diet that includes nuts or extra-virgin olive oil may help in reducing the compounded risk of stroke, heart attack, and death due to cardiovascular disease.
It may help in preventing the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline: The Mediterranean pattern of eating can also help in decreasing a reduction in your thinking skills and memory with age. According to a 2016 review that was published in Frontiers in Nutrition journal, encouraging evidence exists to prove the fact that eating a Mediterranean diet regularly may lead to an improvement in cognition, reduction in cognitive decline, and also decreasing the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease.
It may help you in not only losing weight but also maintaining it: Since the focus of a Mediterranean diet is on fresh and whole foods, it may help in losing weight sustainably and safely. According to research done over five years, eating a Mediterranean diet (calorie- unrestricted) that contains a high amount of unsaturated vegetable fat caused slightly more loss of weight in comparison to a diet low in fat. This was most true for people who included extra-virgin oil in their diets. Furthermore, if you restrict your calories with a Mediterranean diet, you may see more substantial results.
It may help in reversing metabolic syndrome: Studies indicate that eating a Mediterranean diet that includes nuts can help in reversing metabolic syndrome.
It may help in preventing and managing type 2 diabetes mellitus: As a low amount of added sugar is present in a Mediterranean diet along with its focus on fresh and whole produce, it is considered to be effective in the prevention and management of diabetes type 2. Studies indicate that people who don’t already have diabetes if followed a Mediterranean diet had a greater than 50 percent reduced risk of developing diabetes type 2. Furthermore, following a Mediterranean diet has been shown to improve blood glucose control more than a low-glycemic index, high-protein, and low-carbohydrate diets in people who have diabetes type 2.
It may benefit people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis: Since a Mediterranean diet consists of foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acid (fatty fish), which acts as an anti- inflammatory substance, it may help in relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
It may help in preventing certain kinds of cancer: Studies indicate that being on a Mediterranean diet may also help in reducing your risk of certain cancers including colorectal and breast cancer. It may also help in preventing death related to cancer. These benefits in preventing cancer are mostly due to a larger intake of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
It may help in easing symptoms of depression: Various studies link eating according to a Mediterranean style to a reduced incidence of occurrence of depression. An analysis of data from various studies found this diet to be associated with almost 30 percent decreased likelihood of occurrence of depression in comparison to eating a diet rich in sugar, trans fats, and processed meats (also called a pro-inflammatory diet).
It may help in reducing the levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol in the blood: It has been found that people who follow a Mediterranean diet show reduction in their bad (LDL) cholesterol levels along with improvement in various other risk factors for heart disease.
Hence, following a Mediterranean diet in your daily routine can be healthy; however, it is very important to avoid eating unhealthy foods and keep a watch on your potions. This helps in reaping all the benefits of this diet.
