Impacts Of A Healthy Mediterranean Diet  

The diet in countries surrounding the Mediterranean is mainly vegetarian, with some meat and dairy products. The diet is low in the saturated fats that are found in animal products and high in the mono-unsaturated fats found in olive oil.

However, details of these diets vary greatly throughout the Mediterranean countries, and there is no one, typical Healthy Mediterranean diet.

Research into health effects has shown that on the whole, people living in Mediterranean countries show both a lower incidence of heart disease, and a lower tendency to die from heart disease than people in North America.

Another recent study has confirmed that people who closely follow ‘the Healthy Mediterranean Diet’ generally live longer than other Europeans.

What exactly is the Healthy Mediterranean diet and how does it result in such an amazing effect on the people in this part of the world?

While there are many different countries and cultures in the region which are considered and analyzed as a part of the “Mediterranean Diet” studies, a number of common threads do seem to exist, including:

·         An active lifestyle

·         Reliance on local, seasonal, fresh produce

·         Olive oil used for cooking and dressings

·         High consumption of fruits, vegetables, potatoes, beans, nuts, seeds, bread and other cereals  

·         Moderate amounts of fish and seafood

·         Low to moderate amounts of full fat cheese and yogurt

·         Moderate consumption of wine, usually with meals

·         Smaller amounts of red meat

Is this perhaps more of a lifestyle than a diet? To find more, visit the article:Is the Mediterranean Diet Really A Diet?

As much as 40% of total daily calories for people enjoying the Healthy Mediterranean Diet is supplied through fats.

Despite this factor, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases is significantly decreased compared with other populations because the fats are primarily supplied from olive oil and fish.

Olive oil, as a mono-saturated fatty acid, does not have the same cholesterol-raising effect of the saturated fats that are found in many meats. It is also a good source of antioxidants.

Eating fish a few times per week benefits people eating the Healthy Mediterranean Diet by increasing the amount of "omega-3 fatty acids", something that most other developed societies fail to do.

Author: John Kumm, www.healthymediterraneandiet.com