What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The way we think about the word “diet” today is as something borne of restriction that helps you lose weight. The Mediterranean diet couldn’t be further from that. Rather, it’s a heart-healthy eating pattern that includes the food staples of people who live in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea, such as Greece, Croatia, and Italy.

These meals emphasize a plant-based eating approach loaded with vegetables and healthy fats, including olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids from fish. It’s a diet known for being heart-healthy, rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seafood, nuts and legumes, and olive oil. On this plan, one limits or avoids red meat, sugary foods, and excessive dairy. Eating this way means leaves little room for processed fare. A plate prepared this way is bursting with color - traditional proteins like chicken may be more of a side dish compared with produce, which becomes the main event.

One thing people love about the Mediterranean diet is the allowance of low to moderate amounts of red wine. “Moderate” means 5 ounces (oz) or less each day (that’s around one glass). It’s worth noting, though, that a daily glass of wine is not mandatory on this eating plan, and if you don’t already drink, this allowance isn’t a directive to start.

How Does the Mediterranean Diet Work Exactly?
The Mediterranean diet wasn’t built as a weight loss plan — in fact, because it wasn’t developed at all but is a style of eating in a region of people that evolved naturally over centuries, there’s no official way to follow it. But it’s popular because it’s a well-rounded approach to eating that isn’t restrictive. Also worth noting is two of the five so-called blue zones — areas where people live longer and have lower rates of disease — are located in Mediterranean cities (Ikaria in Greece and Sardinia in Italy).

What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is an eating approach that people who live in regions around the Mediterranean Sea have naturally adopted. It’s rich in fresh, whole foods (olive oil, nuts, seeds, veggies, fruit, and fish) and low in red meat and processed fare.

What foods are not allowed on the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet isn’t a restrictive fad diet that focuses on eliminating a bunch of foods from your diet. That said, you’ll want to limit your intake of foods high in saturated fat, as well as red meat, butter, and dairy milk. You can drink red wine on the Mediterranean diet, but you’ll want to do so only in moderation.

What is a Mediterranean diet meal plan?
Fill half of your plate with fruit and vegetables, and then devote one each of the remaining two quarters to lean proteins and whole grains. Aim to add a serving of low-fat or nonfat dairy, like milk or yogurt, to the side of each meal. Also, enjoying food with friends and family is a tenet of the eating approach.

What kind of fats are allowed on the Mediterranean diet?
Focus on incorporating monounsaturated fats into your diet. This type of fat can be found in such foods as avocado, nuts, olive oil, and fatty fish, and has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Avoid or limit saturated fat, which can cause high cholesterol and is found in foods such as full-fat dairy and red meat.

What are the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet has been praised for its potential heart benefits. It may also help improve type 2 diabetes management and help with weight loss depending on the foods you choose to eat on this plan.

What Are the Potential and Known Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet?
The Mediterranean diet is most famous for its benefit to heart health, decreasing the risk of heart disease by, in part, lowering levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and reducing mortality from cardiovascular conditions. It’s also been credited with a lower likelihood of certain cancers, like breast cancer, as well as conditions like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Emerging evidence suggests that eating this way may offer protective effects for those with or at risk for type 2 diabetes. For one, Mediterranean eating improves blood sugar control in those already diagnosed with the condition, suggesting it can be a good way to manage the disease. What’s more, given that those with diabetes are at increased odds for cardiovascular disease, adopting this diet can help improve their heart health, according to a paper published in April 2014 in the journal Nutrients.

Finally, people eat about nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day on a Mediterranean diet. Produce packs an array of disease-fighting antioxidants, and people who fill their diet with these foods have lower risk of disease. Yet as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) points out, scientists don’t know if it’s the antioxidants or other compounds (or general healthy eating patterns) that are responsible for these advantages.

Can Following the Mediterranean Diet Help With Weight Loss?
As a traditional way of eating for many cultures worldwide, the Mediterranean diet wasn’t designed for weight loss. It just so happens that one of the healthiest diets around the globe is also good for keeping your weight down.

One review, published in April 2016 in The American Journal of Medicine, looked at five trials on overweight and obese people and found that after one year those who followed a Mediterranean diet lost as much as 11 pounds (lb) more than low-fat eaters. But that same study found similar weight loss in other diets, like low-carb diets and the American Diabetes Association diet. The results suggest, the researchers say, that “there is no ideal diet for achieving sustained weight loss in overweight or obese individuals.”

Yet following a Mediterranean diet can be an incredibly well-rounded way to lose weight that ditches gimmicks and doesn’t require calorie or macronutrient counting as other diets (looking at you, ketogenic diet) do. The 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Diets ranked the Mediterranean diet as No. 1 for Best Diets Overall and it ranks 15 in its list of Best Weight-Loss Diets. The following is a detailed Mediterranean Diet food list:

Olive Oil
Per Tablespoon Serving 120 calories, 0 grams (g) protein, 13g fat, 2g saturated fat, 10g monounsaturated fat, 0g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 0g sugar. Benefits: replacing foods high in saturated fats (like butter) with plant sources high in monounsaturated fatty acids, like olive oil, may help lower the risk of heart disease by 19 percent, according to research — including an article published in March 2018 in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Tomatoes
Per 1 cup, Chopped Serving 32 calories, 1.5g protein, 0g fat, 7g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 5g sugar. Benefits: They pack lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that is associated with a reduced risk of some cancers, like prostate and breast. Other components in tomatoes may help reduce the risk of blood clots, thereby protecting against cardiovascular disease, according to a review in the journal Annual Review of Food Science and Technology.

Salmon
Per 1 Small Fillet 272 calories, 44g protein, 9g fat, 0g carbohydrates, 0g fiber
Benefits The fatty fish is a major source of omega-3 fatty acids. For good heart health, the American Heart Association recommends eating at least two fish meals per week, particularly fatty fish like salmon.

Walnuts
Per 1 oz (14 Halves) Serving 185 calories, 4g protein, 18g fat, 2g saturated fat, 3g monounsaturated fat, 13g polyunsaturated fat, 4g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 1g sugar. Benefits: rich in heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats, these nuts may also favorably impact your gut microbiome (and thus improve digestive health), as well as lower LDL cholesterol, according to a study published in May 2018 in the Journal of Nutrition.

Chickpeas
Per ½ Cup Serving 160 calories, 10g protein, 2g fat, 26g carbohydrate, 5g fiber. Benefits: the main ingredient in hummus, chickpeas are a good source of fiber, which carries digestive health and weight loss benefits, as well as iron, zinc, folate, and magnesium.

Arugula
Per 1 Cup Serving 5 calories, 0.5g protein, 0g fat, 1g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 0g sugar. Benefits: leafy greens, like arugula, are eaten in abundance under this eating approach. Mediterranean-like diets that include frequent (more than six times a week) consumption of leafy greens have been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in September 2015 in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia.

Pomegranate
Per ½ Cup Serving (Arils) 72 calories, 1.5g protein, 1g fat, 16g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 12g sugar. Benefits: this fruit, in all its bright red glory, packs powerful polyphenols that act as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It’s also been suggested that pomegranates may have anti-cancer properties, too, according to a paper published in March 2014 in the journal Advanced Biomedical Research.

Lentils
Per ½ Cup Serving 115 calories, 9g protein, 0g fat, 20g carbohydrate, 8g fiber, 2g sugar. Benefits: one small study, published in April 2018 in the Journal of Nutrition, suggested that swapping one-half of your serving of a high-glycemic starch (like rice) with lentils helps lower blood glucose by 20 percent.

Farro
Per ¼ Cup (Uncooked) Serving 200 calories, 7g protein. 1.5g fat, 37g carbs, 7g fiber, 0g sugar. Benefits: whole grains like farro are a staple of this diet. This grain offers a stellar source of satiating fiber and protein. Eating whole grains is associated with a reduced risk of a host of diseases, like stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and colorectal cancer.

Greek Yogurt
Per 7 oz Container (Low-Fat Plain) 146 calories, 20g protein, 4g fat, 2g saturated fat, 1g monounsaturated fat, 0g polyunsaturated fat, 8g carbs, 0g fiber, 7g sugar. Benefits: dairy is eaten in limited amounts, but these foods serve to supply an excellent source of calcium. Opting for low- or nonfat versions decreases the amount of saturated fat you’re consuming.

What Are the Pros of a Mediterranean Diet?
The Mediterranean Diet is easy to stick with - diet works only if it’s doable. That means everyone in the family can eat it and eat in this style no matter where one goes (to a restaurant for dinner, to a family event). With its flavors and variety of foods that don’t cut out any food group, this is one such eating plan.

It’s evident that with such a variety of whole, fresh foods available to you as options, it’s easy to build meals based on the diet. And one doesn't have to eliminate their favorites, either. For instance, rather than a sausage and pepperoni pizza, one might choose one piled high with veggies. Filling up on fresh foods like fruit and vegetables allows building volume into meals for fewer calories.

Low in Saturated Fat
One is not going to feel hungry eating this way, because one can build in a variety of healthy fats. But by limiting large amounts of red or processed meats and relying heavily on monounsaturated fatty acids, like avocado, nuts, or olive oil, you’ll keep saturated fat levels low. These fats don't lead to high cholesterol the same way saturated fats do. Healthful sources of fat include olive oil, fish oils, and nut-based oils.

Reduced Risk of Disease
A growing number of studies suggest that people who follow a Mediterranean diet are less likely to die of heart disease than people who follow a typical American diet. What’s more, evidence is emerging that shows people who eat this way have a lower risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer, and some head and neck cancers, according to studies published in September 2016 in the British Journal of Cancer, in February 2018 in the Journal of Urology, and in September 2017 in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention.

What Are the Cons of a Mediterranean Diet?
Milk consumption is limited. One may be put off if they're big on eating a lot of milk and rely on it to get all their calcium. Instead, one eats cheese and yogurt but in smaller amounts. If needed, skim milk is also an option. Otherwise, nondairy calcium sources include fortified almond milk, sardines, kale, and tofu made with calcium sulfate.

As with anything, it's possible to get too much of a good thing when it comes to healthy fats. While the Mediterranean diet meets heart-healthy diet limits for saturated fat, your total fat consumption could be greater than the daily recommended amount if you aren't careful. Plus, as Harvard Health Publishing notes, not all fats are created equal, and you’ll want to minimize your saturated fat intake in favor of healthier fats like those found in olive oil.

One's total daily fat intake should provide 20 to 35 percent of your total daily caloric intake, according to the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine), and saturated fats should represent less than 7 percent of total caloric intake.

What Are the Potential Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Mediterranean Diet?
As has become obvious, there are numerous potential benefits from adopting a Mediterranean diet. Over the long term, these health effects may be more pronounced and can include better brain health by slowing cognitive decline and lowering risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

It also may help stave off chronic diseases, like heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as act protectively against certain cancers. The diet is also a boon to mental health, as it’s associated with reduced odds of depression. There’s even some data to suggest it can be supportive in relieving symptoms of arthritis.

In the short term, one is likely to lose a modest amount of weight over a year span and are likely to keep it off. Eating in the Mediterranean style prompts consumption of more fruit and vegetables, resulting in not only feeling better physically but mentally as well. Research shows that people who eat more raw fruit and veggies (particularly dark leafy greens like spinach, fresh berries, and cucumber) have fewer symptoms of depression, a better mood, and more life satisfaction.

For Further Reading:
• Healthline.com has published an article, "Mediterranean Diet 101: A Meal Plan and Beginner’s Guide", found at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan
• "Mediterranean diet for heart health" is the subject of the article by The Mayo Clinic at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801
• "Take Your Diet to the Mediterranean", published by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine is at the link: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/take-your-diet-to-the-mediterranean