The Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
The word ‘diet’ can often instill fear in
many people as it conjures up ideas of food restriction, bland menus, hunger
and missing out on favourite foods. I’m sure most people over the years have
heard of diets such as the Cabbage soup diet, Miami beach diet, Zone diet and
the Atkins diet, all of which claim to work through different methods with
varying degrees of scientific basis. However if you haven’t heard of these
diets before, then one you will almost certainly have heard of, or at least
heard reference too, is the Mediterranean diet, which is actually not really a
diet at all in the way we usually tend to think of them, more just a specific
way of eating, which tends to have more enjoyment associated with it than usual
‘diets’.
So what is
the Mediterranean diet and why should we be using this as the template to base
our own diets on? Well the simple answer is because it’s classed as the
healthiest diet in the world and not only is it fantastically tasty and
abundant in flavours, but it has also been proven many times over to provide a
variety of excellent health benefits too. So knowing that, the better question
to ask is why WOULDN’T you want to follow the Mediterranean diet? Let’s explore
what the specific advantages are of eating this way and what foods make up this
way of eating.
At this time of year, many people are jetting off to the Mediterranean for their
summer holidays and whilst there, will usually be eating typical foods from
that region, potentially blissfully unaware of the fact that what they are
eating is likely to be, in most cases, some of the healthiest foods in the
world. The countries which make up the Mediterranean regions are those
countries that border the Mediterranean sea such as Italy, Spain, France and
Greece, and it is the traditional healthy living and eating habits of the people
from these countries that make up the basis for the Mediterranean diet. These
countries however all have their own slight differences when it comes to diet
and the regional foods they eat, so the Mediterranean diet can have multiple
definitions, however in general this ‘diet’ has some specific things in common.
The general
description of the Mediterranean diet is that it incorporates an abundance of
plant based foods, and has a high olive oil consumption. Red wine, in
moderation, is also a usual component of this diet too, which I’m sure will
make many people happy to hear. So what exactly are the health benefits of
these specific types of foods?
Weight Loss
For those
people who wish to lose weight, the Mediterranean diet has many positives,
specifically if you are looking for weight management over the longer term and
not just a quick fix, which is often very easily reversed. Studies have shown
that risk of obesity
significantly decreases with a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet in
both females and males. When compared to low fat diets and low carbohydrate
diets (two of the most popular diets for weight loss), the
Mediterranean diet showed better weight loss compared to the low fat diet and
equal weight loss when compared to the low carbohydrate diet, although over the
long term, weight loss was still better in people who followed the
Mediterranean diet compared to a low carb diet and the adherence to the diet
was also far better (probably helped by the fact that wine is still allowed!!).
So how does
the Mediterranean diet help you lose weight? There are multiple answers to this
question, one being that the Mediterranean diet is high in mono-unsaturated
fatty acids (MUFA), found in foods such as nuts, olives and avocadoes, which
are eaten in far higher amounts than saturated fats (those from animal fats and
meats). An increased intake of MUFAs, at the expense of saturated fats, has
been shown to aid weight loss. The Mediterranean diet is also very high in
plant based foods such as fruit and vegetables, which means this diet is high
in both soluble and insoluble fibre. Fibre helps keep us fuller for longer, so
we tend to eat less calories, and has also been shown to have a specific effect
on certain hormones that can help regulate body weight.
So if you
are on a mission to lose weight it’s definitely worth exploring all the
offerings of the Mediterranean diet.
Healthy Heart
Three
specific foods which are eaten in high amounts in the Mediterranean are tomatoes,
olive oil and nuts all of which have proven health benefits for a healthy heart
and cardiovascular system.
Tomatoes
contain a variety of nutrients including lycopene,
beta-carotene, potassium, vitamin C, folate, flavonoids, and vitamin E, all of which
have proven health benefits and this includes benefits for the heart too! Lycopene
has been shown to increase blood flow, which is an indication of improved blood
vessel function. Improved blood vessel function means a healthier
cardiovascular system, which then reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Blood platelet function (platelets are the part of your blood involved in the
clotting process) has also been shown to improve with lycopene
consumption. Some researchers suggest
that one of the reasons that cardiovascular disease is low in the Mediterranean
is because of the high consumption of tomatoes there.
Nuts,
in all their varieties, are an abundant part of the Mediterranean menu and are
a great heart friendly food. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition
stated that eating just 13g of nuts daily
could cut your risk of a heart attack by 30% due to the high content of Omega-3
fatty acids found in nuts. Nuts can be easily consumed as a snack, in breakfast
cereals and sprinkled on salads.
Olive oil is an excellent source of mono-unsaturated fats and its consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. It has also been shown to have a very positive effect on cholesterol levels too with studies showing olive oil can have a positive effect on HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
Improved Mental Health
Studies have shown that consuming a Mediterranean based diet helps
support optimal mental health by reducing the risk of low mood and depression. The
Mediterranean diet is high in Omega 3 fatty acids (found in nuts, seeds and
some beans) and other nutrients that are often not consumed in the same amounts
in our Western diet.
The Mediterranean is also the land of the olive and is the place synonymous with olive oil, which is consumed regularly and widely in the Mediterranean. Olive oil has huge health benefits including helping to reduce depressive symptoms, so don’t be afraid to drizzle a little on salads, soups and bread to get a taste of the Mediterranean here in the UK.
Alzheimer Risk
Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative condition in the world and is also one of the most distressing too for those both caring for the person and also the person suffering from it. As people are now living longer, the risk of Alzheimer’s is an ever present threat. However the good news is that much evidence has shown that a diet that is rich in fruit, vegetables and grains and low in sugar can help reduce dementia and Alzheimer’s risk and as these are all components of the Mediterranean diet it again further shows the advantages of eating in this way.
One of the key features of Alzheimer’s disease is a build-up of plaques, called beta-amyloid plaques, inside the brain cells. Some research has shown that consumption of olive oil can maybe help remove these plaques, although more research is needed on this before a proper conclusion can be made here. Other evidence has also shown that eating a Mediterranean diet can help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by about 3.5 years compared to those people who follow Western style diets. So for healthy brain aging the Mediterranean diet is a winning choice.
Type 2 Diabetes
Studies
have shown that an adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a
reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with one study showing a huge
reduction in risk by 40% if the eating patterns of the Mediterranean diet were
adhered too. One of the main components of the Mediterranean diet is olive oil,
which has been shown to offer beneficial effects on blood
sugar levels and insulin sensitivity. The high content of certain vegetables in
the Mediterranean diet such as olives, aubergines, peppers, tomatoes, onions
and rocket are all helpful in maintaining healthy blood glucose levels too as
well as being very versatile and tasty!
The Foods of the Mediterranean Diet
So as a little summary, the foods that are found in abundance in the Mediterranean diet include, fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, beans and pulses, potatoes, whole grains, extra virgin olive oil, spices and herbs. No processed foods are part of this diet.
What you may not know is that the
Mediterranean diet is very similar to the UK government Guidelines that are
published and provides healthy eating advice. This so called ‘Eat well Guide’, details
what constitutes a healthy balanced diet and how much of certain food groups we
should all be eating. The beauty of the Mediterranean diet is that it comprises
of a huge range of foods with a great taste factor, so you won’t even feel like
you are on a diet at all. With the added health benefits you gain from it also,
it is definitely a change worth making.