subject: Health Benefits of Mediterranean Diet [print this page] Health Benefits of Mediterranean Diet Health Benefits of Mediterranean Diet
Mediterranean diet is a dietary pattern or several complementary dietary patterns that have existed in Mediterranean countries for centuries.
- It does not treat food as medicine, it treats food as food, such as sauteed vegetables with olive oil, herbs and garlic rather than steamed vegetables.
- This diet is beneficial for being low in saturated fat and high inmonounsaturated fat and dietary fibre with total fat ranging from 25% to 35% of energy. - The health benefits of the diet and a significantreduction in mortality stem from all of its various components, not from a single ingredient but the greatest benefits come from the consumption of fruit, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
- The fruits and vegetables add essential nutrients to the diet that are not available in other foods. Both the Japanese diet and the diet of those who live in the Mediterranean area eat more fruits and vegetables than Americans do.
How to follow a Mediterranean Diet:
- Eat more fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
- Eat more fish- Omega 3 fatty acids and poultry and less red meat.
- Limit salt intake, do not add salt to your food.
- Drink lots of water and herbal teas during the day. Black tea is also recommended.
- Avoid using butter and use more of monounsaturated olive oil or canola oil.
- Choose low fat milk and yogurt over full-fat and have moderate amounts of dairy products overall.
- Consume zero to four eggs per week.
- Drink wine in low to moderate amounts.
- Live an active life.
Health Benefits of Mediterranean Diet Foods:
- People with these eating habits seem to have a reduced risk of dying from heart disease or cancer and according to the largest, most rigorously controlled study of this diet.
- It can help with management of diabetes: 'The people on Mediterranean diet have better blood glucose control and the trigger for diabetic drugs is when blood sugar is higher than you want it to be' explained Dr. Christine Laine, the editor of the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
- It can help you lose weight.
- New benefits of this diet including life longevity are being discovered by researchers.
- It can delay Alzheimer's disease.
- But this diet does not eliminate the unpleasant effects of smoking or overeating.
