The Mediterranean diet is a modern nutritional model inspired by the traditional eating patterns of Greece, southern Italy, and Spain during the 1940s and 1950s. Its core features include a high intake of olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits, and vegetables; moderate to high consumption of fish; moderate consumption of dairy products (primarily cheese and yogurt); moderate wine intake; and low consumption of red meat and other non-fish animal products.
This dietary pattern is rich in vegetables and plant-based fats while being low in trans fats and relatively low in saturated fats. A defining feature is the liberal use of virgin olive oil, which is high in monounsaturated fatty acids. Even though total fat intake may be relatively high, the ratio of saturated to monounsaturated fat is low, which is thought to contribute to many of the diet’s metabolic benefits.
Research published in the British Medical Journal (2008;336:1348–1351) found that adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet was associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study followed approximately 13,000 former college students with an average age of 38 years and no history of diabetes at baseline. Over a four-year period, dietary patterns and health outcomes were tracked. Participants who most closely adhered to the Mediterranean diet had a significantly lower risk of developing diabetes. Notably, this protective effect extended even to individuals with established risk factors such as a family history of diabetes or smoking.
