The Mediterranean Diet: The best diet in the world?

In a world where trending diets come and go, there is one that stands the test of time: The Mediterranean Diet. While science praises the benefits of the timeless Diet, it is more than just the Holy Grail of health - it’s a lifestyle.

Picture yourself in Spain. It is a warm sunny day lounging by the beach with a beer in your hand. The fresh breeze combing through your hair and the fine white sand grazing through your feet. When your stomach starts to growl, you calmly get up and gently start stumbling through the sand towards one of the many taperias -restaurants exclusively serving tapas- lined up at the beach front. When eyeing through the menu, you think of getting a plentiful salad or lightly-dressed fish, perhaps even both. You know that you will enjoy any dish no matter which you choose and that, as soon as you’re done, you will go back to lounging by the beach side. Now that is the essence of the Mediterranean lifestyle.

Growing up in Spain as a third-culture kid to Indian parents surely made me appreciate the joie de vivre this lifestyle had to offer. Yet it was my “live-to-eat” mindset that attracted me to the simplicity and variety of the local cuisine. The fact that I was raised in Barcelona, one of the biggest food capitals bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, exposed me to the highest quality ingredients this world-famous diet has to offer. The influence was so great that these dishes started flooding into my daily Indian-dominated diet, eventually become a staple. Now, in spite of having lived abroad for almost a decade, I religiously search for these imported products at local supermarkets in the hopes of recreating a taste of home.

I am sure you must be wondering: “What is it that drives these Mediterranean-raised folks to desperately find these products no matter where they are? At the end of the day food is just food”. Well, at the end of the day, “you are what you eat” as the famous proverb goes.

Demystifying the secrets of the Mediterranean Diet

As a food researcher I now know that there is more to the Mediterranean diet than it’s amazing taste. Let me take you into the science behind it.

The Mediterranean diet is rich in seafood, fruits and vegetables, as well as legumes and nuts that are largely grown locally in the region. But the diet became globally famous due to its health and lifespan-boosting perks. In fact, Spain ranks in the top 5 life expectancies worldwide [1]. Studies show over and over again that this is largely due to the nutritious diet consumed in the region.

In addition, large-scale studies link these nutrient-rich foods to reduce the risk of chronic diseases including heart attacks and several forms of cancer [2]. The main mechanism behind this lies in the diet’s ability to improve our blood profiles. It specifically boosts our “good” HDL cholesterol and reduces the “bad” LDL cholesterol [3]. Nevertheless, each and every ingredient of the diet plays its part in promoting our good health. From the whirlwind of ingredients, there are two that best embody the diet overall:

OLIVE OIL

This famed ingredient is a staple and widely exported from the Mediterranean blessed with olive trees. The fact that it is also commonly referred to as “liquid gold” attests to its numerous health benefits. The delicate oil boasts of a large set of benefits owing to its abundance of antioxidants and mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs).

The main benefit is its anti-inflammatory properties that have a similar effect as pain-killers and could even prevent or delay the development of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia [4]. Research also shows that when integrated in a healthy diet rich with fruits, fiber, and vegetables, olive oil could protect against diabetes type II by regulating blood sugar levels and insulin [5]. To top it off, the exclusive consumption of olive oil rather than other dietary fats is linked to other healthy habits that promote successful aging [6].

FISH

One of the main characteristics of the diet is its preference of fatty fish over meat. Meat is not necessarily unhealthy if consumed in moderation like in this diet, but fish often provides more health benefits and should ideally be consumed twice a week. The most commonly-consumed fish in the diet include salmon, mackerel, tuna, and herring.

With olive oil you heard all about the MUFAs. Fish actually contain its older brother known as poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including the notorious omega-3. The main benefit of omega-3 is the lower risk of heart disease, especially by reducing inflammation [7,8]. Interestingly, this dietary fat may also protects against depression and serves as a sports-performance enhancer [9,10].

Wrapping it up

Needless to say, the Mediterranean Diet has a lot to offer. No matter how old or unhealthy you currently are, you can and should strive to have a better quality of life. Your diet surely is a great way to start, firstly by using olive oil instead of butter and eventually swapping one serving of meat per week with salmon. You can trust this timeless diet – the science says it all. No matter where you are, you will taste the essence of the Mediterranean lifestyle, just like I do.

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References

[1] Spain: life expectancy 2020 | Statista n.d. https://www.statista.com/statistics/451166/life-expectancy-in-spain/ (accessed February 6, 2022).

[2] Di Daniele ND, Noce A, Vidiri MF, Moriconi E, Marrone G, Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli M, et al. Impact of Mediterranean diet on metabolic syndrome, cancer and longevity. Oncotarget 2017;8:8947–79. https://doi.org/10.18632/ONCOTARGET.13553.

[3] Ros E, Martínez-González MA, Estruch R, Salas-Salvadó J, Fitó M, Martínez JA, et al. Mediterranean Diet and Cardiovascular Health: Teachings of the PREDIMED Study. Adv Nutr 2014;5:330S-336S. https://doi.org/10.3945/AN.113.005389.

[4] Klimova B, Novotný M, Kuca K, Valis M. Effect Of An Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Intake On The Delay Of Cognitive Decline: Role Of Secoiridoid Oleuropein? Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2019;15:3033. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S218238.

[5] Schwingshackl L, Lampousi AM, Portillo MP, Romaguera D, Hoffmann G, Boeing H. Olive oil in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies and intervention trials. Nutr Diabetes 2017;7. https://doi.org/10.1038/NUTD.2017.12.

[6] Foscolou A, Critselis E, Tyrovolas S, Chrysohoou C, Sidossis LS, Naumovski N, et al. The Effect of Exclusive Olive Oil Consumption on Successful Aging: A Combined Analysis of the ATTICA and MEDIS Epidemiological Studies. Foods 2019;8:25. https://doi.org/10.3390/FOODS8010025.

[7] Leaf A. Historical overview of n−3 fatty acids and coronary heart disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;87:1978S-1980S. https://doi.org/10.1093/AJCN/87.6.1978S.

[8] Rizza S, Tesauro M, Cardillo C, Galli A, Iantorno M, Gigli F, et al. Fish oil supplementation improves endothelial function in normoglycemic offspring of patients with type 2 diabetes. Atherosclerosis 2009;206:569–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ATHEROSCLEROSIS.2009.03.006.

[9] Gammone MA, Riccioni G, Parrinello G, D’orazio N. Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Benefits and Endpoints in Sport. Nutrients 2019;11. https://doi.org/10.3390/NU11010046.

[10] Grosso G, Galvano F, Marventano S, Malaguarnera M, Bucolo C, Drago F, et al. Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Depression: Scientific Evidence and Biological Mechanisms. Oxid Med Cell Longev 2014;2014. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/313570.