The benefits of a Mediterranean diet

The phrase ‘The Mediterranean Diet’ was first used by Professor Ancel Keys of Minnesota University who, in the late 1950s and 1960s used it to describe the pattern of eating and lifestyle common to the Mediterranean countries featured in the Seven Countries Study. He found that people who followed this way of eating enjoyed better health and lived longer than people in the affluent countries of north western Europe and the USA.  The phrase subsequently came to be a used as a shorthand for the traditional diet of southern Italy, Greece and Crete.

Today ‘The Mediterranean Diet’ describes much more than a single regional pattern of eating.  The culinary culture, the cooking techniques and the fresh local produce of the countries around the Mediterranean basin are extremely varied but they all have one thing in common. They all use olive oil every day, often 20-30mls per person per day and perhaps as much as 70ml. In addition the olive oil is served with fresh, unprocessed ingredients and low levels of meat, simple carbohydrates and refined sugars.

The basis of the diet is made up of fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables with unrefined, whole grain cereals, dried pulses such as beans and lentils, nuts and seeds. Fish or shellfish is eaten at least twice a week. Some dairy produce, usually in the form of cheese and yoghurt from the milk of grazing sheep or goats, is also regularly included.

Red meat is eaten less frequently and in smaller amounts than are usual in the more affluent diets of northern Europe and the USA. Poultry and game are the more likely choices. Herbs and spices rather than salt are used to flavour and garnish dishes and so add to the nutritional profile of the diet. Dessert usually consists of seasonal fruits, though for special occasions sweets are prepared using seeds, nuts, olive oil based filo pastry and honey for sweetening. Baked products high in sugar and trans-fats are rare.  Wine is often drunk in moderation with a meal and herbal teas are consumed afterwards. The culture of taking time to enjoy the food is central to the lifestyle.

This traditional Mediterranean Diet contains a healthy ratio of fats. It is high in monounsaturated fats, from olive oil, compared to animal saturated fats. The saturated fats that are consumed in the diet tend to be saturated fats such as goat’s milk cheese that are not associated with raising potentially harmful cholesterol levels. Where red meat is eaten, it is unprocessed and often marinated or cooked in olive oil, wine and herbs which is thought to reduce harmful compounds which may be produced as a result of frying and grilling.

The average daily quantity of vegetables eaten is significantly higher in the Mediterranean Diet than in the average modern diet. These vegetables are rich in fibre and in other compounds such as those which give them their colour. These are called phytonutrients. Olive oil is the medium for cooking and presenting these vegetables dishes and the two together provides a blend of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

The unrefined wholegrain carbohydrates in the diet are generally low glycaemic index and, particularly when combined with olive oil, have a very low glycaemic load. Pulses and nuts, too, have very low glycaemic load and are great sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Olive Oil and the power of the Mediterranean Diet

The daily inclusion of extra virgin olive oil in the diet contributes to ensuring that the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet are more than the sum of its parts.  It is the most essential element of this pattern of eating.  Extra virgin olive oil, in particular, not only complements and enhances the nutrition of the whole diet but also has great benefits of its own in helping to reduce the risks of many chronic illnesses and conditions.