Mediterranean diet benefits explained

The Mediterranean diet benefits have been proven by numerous scientific studies performed in the last fifty to sixty years. They have established that it can help reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases and certain types of cancer, among others.

	Healthy Mediterranean food

This is hopeful as cardiovascular diseases are one of the main causes of mortality in the more developed Western countries like the USA and Northern Europe.

Since the 1950s, an increasing number of studies have confirmed that the Mediterranean diet benefits extend to sufferers of illnesses like osteoporosis, obesity, arthritis, chronic diseases, and other disorders.

Recent research has even found that the Mediterranean food as a whole increases the life expectancy, helps to lose weight and more importantly maintain it.

The Mediterranean diet passes the first scrutiny

In 1958, professor Ancel Keys from the University of Minnesota started a comparative dietary study in seven countries that took more than ten years. They were Finland, Italy, Greece, Japan, The Netherlands, the USA and the former Yugoslavia.

The results of the Seven Country Study showed that the Japanese and Mediterranean populations had a much lower rate of coronary heart diseases than countries like the Unites States and The Netherlands.

Professor Keys concluded that dietary habits played an essential role in the lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases in the Mediterranean basin.

Also, he observed that each Mediterranean country included in the research had its own dishes and cooking techniques.

At the same time, they all shared the abundant use of olive oil in their kitchens and tables. Moreover, they regularly consumed plenty of plant-based food such as fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, rice and pasta, and nuts.

Olive oil, their main source of fat, is rich in monounsaturated fat, and vegetables and fruits are rich in fiber and antioxidants.

On the contrary, in countries like the USA the general population consumed large amounts of animal saturated fat.

Professor Keys concluded that one of the most important Mediterranean diet benefits was olive oil. It helped balance the cholesterol levels and was a powerful antioxidant.

However, the Mediterranean eating practices as a whole, and lifestyle factors like a non-sedentary life had a very positive influence in their overall health. Researchers realized that to understand the whole Mediterranean health picture, they had to be taken into account too.

Other Mediterranean diet studies

The Seven Year Study was the first of a number of studies in different areas of nutrition and medicine. Here I point out some encouraging results.

Another interesting study was conducted in France in the 1980s. It is known as the Lyon Heart Study. Its goal was to study if the Mediterranean diet was instrumental in protecting the heart. The results were extremely positive.

This same study was repeated in Italy later, and the findings were also remarkable.

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