Diet – Look to the Mediterranean for dietary wisdom

I’m not one to state that there is a single “right” diet for everyone. There are a number of ways to eat nutritiously and well, and what’s right for one person may not be spot on for the next person.

That said, healthful diets tend to have certain things in common, such as lots of vegetables and fruits and minimal sugar and highly processed foods.

One standout is the Mediterranean diet. Is it the optimal way to eat? Maybe. Is it an optimal way to eat? Absolutely. This isn’t exactly breaking news, considering that the Mediterranean way of eating was “discovered” in the 1950s. What is news is the growing evidence that this diet has the potential to prevent a number of chronic diseases that can reduce our quality of life — and perhaps shorten our lives.

So, what is the Mediterranean diet? In its classic form, it’s an approximation of the dietary patterns of people who live near the Mediterranean Sea — the olive-growing areas of Crete, Greece and southern Italy.

In practical terms, it’s a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Fish is more common than poultry and much more common than red meat. Virgin olive oil is the main source of fat, and moderate consumption of red wine is common. It includes a serving or two a day of dairy foods (often yogurt). Olives and nuts are enjoyed several times a week and eggs and sweets appear a few times a week.

There has been a lot of research into why this way of eating tends to be associated with lower rates of heart disease and other chronic diseases. Earlier efforts focused on isolating which parts of the diet were responsible for the positive effects. Was it the olive oil? The relative lack of red meat?

More recently, a number of studies have found that the diet as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

This isn’t too surprising, given that we don’t eat nutrients. We eat foods, which are combined into meals that in turn are combined into a complete pattern of eating that can contribute to, or detract from, our health. It’s not about the olive oil. It’s not about the red wine. It’s about the whole package.

Let’s consider what the various voices in this dietary chorus bring. The plentiful fruits and vegetables and moderate amounts of nuts deliver phytochemicals, antioxidant vitamins, fiber and other important nutrients. (Phytochemicals are substances found in plants that have been shown to have beneficial health effects.)

The olive oil has the healthful qualities of the olive itself, plus phytochemicals that also act as antioxidants.

And then there is the red wine, which provides even more antioxidants, as well as anti-inflammatory actions that may benefit heart health.

The Mediterranean diet is not low-fat. But the addition of heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from olive oil, nuts and fish may make this diet tastier and easier to stick with than many low-fat diets. Sautéing vegetables in olive oil and dressing salads in vinaigrette makes vegetables more flavorful, encouraging us to eat more of them.

Diet and Weight loss with Bill & Sheila

Carrie Dennett: [email protected]; Dennett is a graduate student in the Nutritional Sciences Program at UW; her blog is nutritionbycarrie.com.

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