Why is it a good idea to eat based on a Mediterranean diet?

A Mediterranean diet is one that includes lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and fewer meats and sweets. There are many reasons why eating a Mediterranean diet is a good idea. From research, we know that it can help prevent many diseases. It can help you to¹

• Lose weight²
• Lower your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke^2,3
• Prevent many cancers^4-6
• Avoid diabetes³
• Prevent dementia⁷

It can also reduce wheezing and asthma in children and reduce hip fractures in women over the age of 50.^8,9

Another important part of being healthy is having healthy bacteria in your intestines.¹⁰ Everyone has bacteria in the intestines, or the gut. Some bacteria are healthier than others. The foods you eat determine which bacteria live in your intestines. Eating a Mediterranean diet helps make sure that you have healthy bacteria. We also know that people who eat a Mediterranean diet live longer and are healthier overall.¹¹

We know that eating a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and less meat helps the environment, too.¹² It takes more grain, land and fuel to feed and transport animals than it does to feed people. Eating a Mediterranean diet is one way we can protect our forests.

What is a Mediterranean diet?

A Mediterranean diet is a pattern of eating based on what people from Crete, Greece and Southern Italy ate in the 1950s and 1960s. At that time, people from those regions were the healthiest, even if they didn’t have good medical care. They lived longer. They also had fewer diseases.¹³