What is the Mediterranean Diet?
Based on the dietary traditions from Greece, Southern Italy and Crete it was identified that the general population of this area had the highest life expectancy for adults- even though there was less health care available. So what is different?
In the last few decades researchers found that the relatively simple diet this region – consisting predominantly of fruits and veggies, beans, nuts grains, fish, olive oil and red wine was at least partially responsible for their overall health. Other factors were regular exercise, the traditional culture of sharing of meals with family and friends.
There are many claims of benefits from the Mediterranean diet such as:
- lowers the risk of heart disease
- a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes
- lowering the chances of dying from cancer
- Two systematic studies in 2013 correlated that an adherence to the diet may lower risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
Read more about the Mediterranean Diet here.
