Mediterranean Diet Review

Many people are ditching the cookies and sweets in the new year because it's diet season.

There are so many to choose from, but according to the U.S. World News Report, the best of 2019 is the Mediterranean Diet.

The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional foods that people used to eat in countries like Italy and Greece back in 1960.

Researchers noted that these people were exceptionally healthy compared to Americans and had a low risk of many lifestyle diseases.

Numerous studies have now shown that the Mediterranean diet can cause weight loss and help prevent heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes and premature death.

There is no one right way to follow the Mediterranean diet, as there are many countries around the Mediterranean sea and people in different areas may have eaten different foods.

This article describes the dietary pattern typically prescribed in studies that suggest it’s a healthy way of eating.

Consider all of this as a general guideline, not something written in stone. The plan can be adjusted to your individual needs and preferences.

Benefits of the Mediterranean diet

Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease. The diet has been associated with a lower level of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol that's more likely to build up deposits in your arteries.

In fact, a meta-analysis of more than 1.5 million healthy adults demonstrated that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality as well as overall mortality.

The Mediterranean diet is also associated with a reduced incidence of cancer, and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Women who eat a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts may have a reduced risk of breast cancer.

For these reasons, most if not all major scientific organizations encourage healthy adults to adapt a style of eating like that of the Mediterranean diet for prevention of major chronic diseases.

The focus of the Mediterranean diet isn't on limiting total fat consumption, but rather to make wise choices about the types of fat you eat. The Mediterranean diet discourages saturated fats and hydrogenated oils (trans fats), both of which contribute to heart disease.

The Mediterranean diet features olive oil as the primary source of fat. Olive oil provides monounsaturated fat — a type of fat that can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels when used in place of saturated or trans fats.

Last year, the Mediterranean diet tied with the DASH diet, short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, the government-backed plan aimed at helping followers lower their blood pressure. 

This year, Haupt said research tying the Mediterranean diet to longer, healthier living propelled it to the top.

"It’s a really nice example of the potential to love food that loves you back," said Dr. David L. Katz, founding director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center and founder/president of the True Health initiative.

How to Follow the Diet at Restaurants

It’s very simple to make most restaurant meals suitable for the Mediterranean diet.

1. Choose fish or seafood as your main dish.
2. Ask them to fry your food in extra virgin olive oil.
3. Only eat whole-grain bread, with olive oil instead of butter.

he Mediterranean Diet won out, because judges felt it was effective, affordable and easy to stick with.

“You really want something to be a lifestyle change so that you can handle it if you have kids or you live alone and I think this one really checks all those boxes,” registered dietitian Amy Peick says.

Peick is a dietitian at Coborn’s grocery store in Albertville.

She says the Mediterranean Diet is based on the cuisine of the Mediterranean region, which includes lean proteins such as fish and beans, as well as healthy fats, whole grains and a large amount of plant-based foods, like fruits, vegetables and legumes.

“Sometimes the best ways are the old, simple ways,” Peick says. “It’s what people in that region have been eating for years and it just works.”

If you’re interested in trying out the Mediterranean Diet, Peick suggests starting out small and working your way into it.

“Try eating whole grain pasta instead of regular pasta, or try out some other whole grains, like brown rice instead of white, or quinoa or other grains. The diet also recommends eating fish at least twice a week and there’s a lot of packaged fish like salmon that are easy to cook and eat.”

The diet also recommends using spices and herbs instead of high-calorie sauces and salt.

This is the second year in a row the U.S. World News Report chose Mediterranean as the best diet of the year.

Meals on the Mediterranean diet follow this formula: half vegetables and fruit, a quarter whole grains, and a quarter fish, lean protein, or vegetarian protein, with a small amount of healthy fat. Sounds simple, right? The diet is less extreme than many other diets, so it's likely to be an easy transition from whatever you're eating now. It's just a matter of filling up on low-starch vegetables and fruits and keeping your lean protein intake high. To get you started, we've put together a week of meals you can try out. You can, of course, mix and match as you please, as long as you keep the meal formula in mind.

Research has consistently shown that the Mediterranean diet is effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and overall mortality. [3, 4]  A study of nearly 26,000 women found that those who followed this type of diet had 25% less risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the course of 12 years. [5] The study examined a range of underlying mechanisms that might account for this reduction, and found that changes in inflammation, blood sugar, and body mass index were the biggest drivers.

Research supports the use of the Mediterranean diet as a healthy eating pattern for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, increasing lifespan, and healthy aging. When used in conjunction with caloric restriction, the diet may also support healthy weight loss.

What are the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet?

There’s plenty of research that supports the Mediterranean Diet’s newly earned title of the best diet for 2019.
According to one 2016 study’s findings, presented at a conference in Brussels by the NU-AGE project, the diet may be the closest thing to drinking from the fountain of youth. Researchers found that eating Mediterranean-style decreased levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker associated with aging. It also lowered the rate of bone loss for participants with osteoporosis.

A separate study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal looked at data from a five-year trial that included more than 7,400 adults with Type 2 diabetes or who were at risk for cardiovascular disease. People were split up into three groups: One followed a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil, one followed a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, and one followed a low-fat control diet.

Over the five years, people who followed a Mediterranean diet with olive oil lost the most weight, showing that restricting fats doesn't help with weight loss or maintenance.

The Mediterranean diet has long been one of the healthiest diets known to man. But it’s really not even a “diet” in the way we usually think of them, more like a life-long way of eating and living. For thousands of years people living along the Mediterranean coast have indulged in a high-fiber diet of fruits and vegetables, also including quality fats and proteins in moderation, and sometimes a glass of locally made wine to complete a meal, too.

Meanwhile, this eatin pattern has gotten a reputation for disease prevention, mood-enhancement, and even “enjoyable” weight manageable. That’s right, studies show the same diet that can help you shed excess weight, and keep it off too, can also reduce your risk for depression, cardiovascular disease and more.

Eating like a Mediterranean is as much lifestyle as it is diet. Instead of gobbling your meal in front of the TV, slow down and sit down at the table with your family and friends to savor what you’re eating. Not only will you enjoy your company and your food, eating slowly allows you to tune in to your body’s hunger and fullness signals. You’re more apt to eat just until you’re satisfied than until you’re busting-at-the-seams full.