What Is the Mediterranean Diet, and Why Is It Beneficial?
Key takeaways:
The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating based on the traditional foods eaten in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.
The diet focuses on plant-based foods, seafood, olive oil, and fresh herbs. It limits highly processed foods, saturated fat, and sugary foods and beverages.
The potential health benefits of the Mediterranean diet include improved heart health, lower risk of cancer, decreased inflammation, better brain health, and a lower overall risk of death.
Table of contents
Chances are you’ve heard about the Mediterranean diet. This eating pattern has been widely praised in the media and is regularly recommended by many health agencies.
Read on to learn more about why the Mediterranean diet is good for your health — and how to start following it.
What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that’s based on the traditional foods of the people living in countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. These countries include France, Greece, Italy, and Spain.
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This diet pulls from many food cultures, so there’s no single, set way to follow this diet. Overall, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant-based meals consisting of:
Whole grains
Fruits and vegetables
This way of eating isn’t just about what you eat. It emphasizes eating meals in a leisurely way and sharing meals with other people. It also promotes getting adequate physical activity.
What does the Mediterranean diet consist of?
The Mediterranean diet mostly includes plant-based foods like:
Beans and legumes such as black beans, kidney beans, lentils, and garbanzo beans
Whole grains such as whole wheat bread or pasta, brown rice, quinoa, farro, buckwheat, and millet
Fruits such as berries, avocados, citrus fruits, apples, bananas, figs, dates, melons, and pears
Vegetables like leafy greens, tomatoes, olives, eggplant, beets, and mushrooms
Nuts and seeds such as almonds, cashews, pine nuts, pistachios, sesame seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds
Healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and nut oils
Herbs of all kinds, including onion, garlic, oregano, basil, mint, and parsley
People do consume animal products as part of the Mediterranean diet, but in smaller amounts. Typically, that means eating certain kinds of proteins more often than others:
At least twice a week: Fish and other seafood, poultry, eggs
2 to 3 times per week: Cheese (aim for unprocessed and low-fat types like mozzarella or feta) or yogurt (try plain Greek, which is low in added sugars but high in protein)
Once or twice a month: Red meat
What are the healthiest fruits? While all fruits are good for you, there are some that have strong scientific evidence of specific and advanced health benefits.
Is olive oil really good for you? Yes! Research on the health benefits of olive oil show that it can benefit your heart, brain, joints, and metabolism.
What are ultra-processed foods? Packaged foods, soda, and candy are examples of ultra-processed foods — and they’ve been linked to many health conditions.
The Mediterranean diet also makes room to enjoy occasional sweets and modest amounts of red wine.
What foods are not allowed on the Mediterranean diet?
No foods are completely off limits on the Mediterranean diet. But following this eating plan does mean limiting your intake of certain categories of food, such as:
Foods and drinks high in added sugar, like sugary breakfast cereals, candy, baked goods, and soda
Refined carbohydrates, such as white rice and heavily processed white bread
Foods that are high in sodium (salt), such as pretzels and chips
Other highly processed foods, including instant noodles and many ready-to-eat meals
Foods high in saturated fats, like red meat and butter (eating red meat once or twice a month is OK, and when you enjoy it, treat it as a side-dish)
Fatty or processed meats, like bacon and hot dogs
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What are the benefits of the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is linked to many potential health benefits, including:
Lower risk of heart disease and stroke: Research suggests it lowers blood pressure, reduces inflammation, and raises “good” HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels.
Decreased risk of developing certain cancers: This is thanks to the high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients in the diet’s recommended foods.
Lower overall risk of death: A comprehensive study of older Europeans showed that following a Mediterranean diet led to a 7% reduction in all-cause mortality.
Type 2 diabetes management: The fiber and other nutrients in this diet helps balance blood sugar, which may help prevent or manage the progression of Type 2 diabetes.
Prevention or reversal of oxidative stress: In oxidative stress, free radicals cause damage to your cells, which can lead to health conditions. But research suggests the Mediterranean diet may prevent or help reverse oxidative stress.
Slow the development of brain disorders: Research showed a potential 3.5 year delay in the progression of Alzheimer's disease in people on the Mediterranean diet, compared with those who ate a typical Western diet.
The Mediterranean diet is also thought to promote longevity, or a long and healthy life overall. Two out of the world’s five blue zones are in countries that follow the Mediterranean diet: Italy and Greece. Blue zones are areas of the world where people live the longest and are the healthiest compared to other countries.
What to eat on Mediterranean diet
Thinking about starting the Mediterranean diet? Here are some meal ideas:
Breakfast: Greek yogurt topped with fresh berries and chia seeds
Lunch: Salad made with leafy greens, roasted vegetables, cooked lentils, crumbled feta cheese, and a handful of nuts. Add a dressing of balsamic vinaigrette, fresh lemon juice, and other herbs and spices as desired
Dinner: Roasted salmon with asparagus and sweet potatoes, along with a small glass of red wine
Snacks: Veggie sticks dipped in hummus, whole-grain crackers with cheese slices, or trail mix made with nuts, seeds, and unsweetened dried fruit
Dessert: 1 oz of dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
Can you modify the Mediterranean diet to make it vegan or gluten-free?
Yes, the Mediterranean diet can be modified to fit most dietary preferences and needs. And many of the foods emphasized on this diet are already both gluten-free and vegan.
Here are some simple ways to make the Mediterranean diet gluten-free:
Stick with gluten-free grains like rice, quinoa, and certified gluten-free oats.
Use gluten-free flours such as almond, cassava, and coconut flours for baking and cooking.
Enjoy pasta and bread products made from gluten-free flours.
To make the Mediterranean diet vegan, apply these simple swaps:
Drink plant-based milks and use them in your smoothies and oatmeal.
Make scrambled tofu or tempeh in place of eggs.
Focus on beans, lentils, whole grains, and nuts as your proteins in place of meat, fish, or poultry.
Enjoy nut butter, hummus, and guacamole on sandwiches and wraps instead of cheeses or meats.
Who should follow the Mediterranean diet?
Anyone can benefit from following the Mediterranean diet. But it may be especially helpful for people who:
Have arthritis
Are at risk of or currently have Type 2 diabetes
Have inflammatory bowel disease, like Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis
Have a high risk (or personal history) of heart problems or high cholesterol
Are at risk for or have a history of cancer
Have a goal of weight loss or weight management
Keep in mind: If you have a health condition, you should talk with your primary care provider before making any changes to your diet. They can help you understand what type of diet modifications will best fit your needs.
How to start the Mediterranean diet
You don’t have to follow every tip mentioned in this article to experience the benefits of this eating pattern. Even small changes will make a difference in your health over time.
Try making these adjustments to your diet as you’re able:
Choose olive oil in place of butter or margarine.
Include fresh fruits and vegetables in most meals and snacks.
Swap out animal proteins for plant-based proteins, like lentils, beans, and soy a few times per week.
Eat fish and other types of seafood two or three times per week.
Switch from products made with white flour to those made with whole-grain products.
Snack on a variety of nuts and seeds.
Replace other alcoholic beverages with red wine.
Limit sugary drinks.
Frequently asked questions
There's no set rulebook for the Mediterranean diet. People who follow this eating plan have a lot of flexibility to make their own interpretations.
But this means that there are a couple things to pay attention to. For example, healthy fats such as olive oil are encouraged. But try to avoid overdoing it in your consumption of oil and other fats. Stick to 1 to 2 tbsp of oil per meal. And although red wine is allowed on the Mediterranean diet, it should still be consumed in moderation. Aim for no more than 5 oz with dinner.
Yes, the Mediterranean diet is good for people with diabetes. In fact, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends this diet, since it can help prevent or manage the progression of Type 2 diabetes. This is because the Mediterranean diet emphasizes many foods high in fiber and other nutrients that help balance blood sugar.
The ADA also recommends the Mediterranean diet to help lower A1C levels, triglycerides, and the risk of cardiovascular events.
The exact origins of the Mediterranean diet are hard to trace. However, the eating habits date back over a thousand years to the Middle Ages. During this time, bread, wine, and olive oil were cultural symbols in the Mediterranean regions. Also, people ate a lot of produce and preferred seafood over meat.
The bottom line
The Mediterranean diet is an eating pattern recommended by many health professionals because of its health benefits. These benefits include improved heart health, lower risk of cancer, and decreased inflammation. The diet emphasizes nutrient-dense, plant-based foods, seafood, olive oil, and fresh herbs. It limits highly processed foods, saturated fat, and sugary foods.
There isn’t one set, rigid way to follow the Mediterranean diet. If you’re interested in trying this eating style, start with small changes that are sustainable. Even by making minor adjustments to the way you eat, over time you can experience the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.
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References
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D’Innocenzo, S., et al. (2019). Obesity and the Mediterranean diet: A review of evidence of the role and sustainability of the Mediterranean diet. Nutrients.
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Mancini, J. G., et al. (2016). Systematic review of the Mediterranean diet for long-term weight loss. The American Journal of Medicine.
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Martínez-González, M. A., et al. (2019). The Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular health: A critical review. Circulation Research.
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Paturel, A. (n.d.). The ultimate arthritis diet. Arthritis Foundation.
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