You’ve probably heard about the Mediterranean diet and its benefits, especially for people with diabetes. But what exactly is the Mediterranean diet, and how can you incorporate it into your daily nutritional plan?
What is the Mediterranean diet?
The typical Western diet is high in animal fats and preservatives, but low in fruit and vegetables. Scientific research has shown that this food combination is partially responsible for triggering many chronic diseases. Conversely, the Mediterranean diet is low in animal fats and high in fruit and vegetables. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and even Alzheimer’s disease.
The three main pillars of the Mediterranean diet are the following:
- High consumption of vegetables
- High consumption of olive oil
- Moderate consumption of protein
The components of a Mediterranean diet are as follows:
- Higher quantities of vegetables, fruits and legumes (beans)
- Higher quantities of whole-grain cereals (for example, wheat, oats, millet and brown rice)
- Moderate quantities of fish, white meats, nuts and low-fat dairy products
- Limited quantities of red meat, eggs and sweets
- Wine can be consumed with the occasional meal (current recommendations are that people consume no more than 1-2 glasses per week)
- Use of monounsaturated fats (for example, olive oil or grape seed oil) instead of saturated animal fats (for example, butter or lard)
- Very small amounts of added salt; instead, herbs and spices should be used for flavouring
Why was the Mediterranean diet investigated?
In 1980, Professor Ancel Keys published the results of his investigation into cardiovascular death rates in different countries. He found that the death rates due to heart disease were low in Greece, Italy and Spain, but much higher in the United States. This led Dr. Keys to investigate the lifestyle of the long-lived Mediterranean people. After such factors as smoking, exercise, education and stress were taken into account, he found that diet had played an essential part in keeping these communities healthy. The “Mediterranean diet” was born!
Benefits of the Mediterranean diet for diabetes prevention
Today, it is well-known that a Mediterranean diet is very effective for the prevention of diabetes. In fact, Dr. Demosthenes Panagiotakos, a professor at Harokopio University, Athens, conducted an analysis of studies regarding the Mediterranean diet and its relationship to cardiovascular disease and diabetes prevention. He found that people who followed the Mediterranean diet had a 21% reduced risk of developing diabetes.
Benefits of the Mediterranean diet for people with diabetes
There are several benefits of following a Mediterranean diet for people with diabetes. These include:
- Improves blood sugar control due to lower glycemic index food choices
- Helps with weight management and weight loss
- Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease
- Decreases inflammation and oxidative stress due to a diet rich in antioxidants
- Lowers risk of diabetes complications such as diabetic neuropathy and kidney disease due to its anti-inflammatory and heart-protective effects
- Promotes gut health
Recent studies have also shown additional health benefits that may be associated with the Mediterranean diet such as healthy brain aging and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, as well as increased likelihood of healthy aging.
Switching to a Mediterranean diet offers you not only tremendous health benefits, it is also flexible and sustainable, unlike many other restrictive diets. It is easy to follow long-term, leading to better adherence and improved diabetes outcomes over time.
Check out some of our Mediterranean diet style recipes:
Mediterranean quinoa chickpea salad
