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This Is How to Follow the Mediterranean Diet, Explained in 2 Minutes

Lauren Smith, MAKaren Hovav, MD, FAAP
Written by Lauren Smith, MA | Reviewed by Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP
Updated on September 10, 2025
Reviewed by Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP | September 10, 2025

The Mediterranean diet mimics the style of eating in countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea: Greece (especially the island of Crete), Italy, Spain, and parts of Northern Africa and the Middle East. This diet wasn’t exactly “invented” but observed; researchers took interest in the cuisine and eating habits in the 1960s when they noticed life expectancy of people in this region was among the highest in the world.

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Lauren Smith, MA
Written by:
Lauren Smith, MA
Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.
Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

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