Mediterranean Diet: Dispelling Common Misconceptions and Highlighting Health Benefits

The Mediterranean diet, a cuisine that has been praised for its health benefits, is often misunderstood. When I asked people what they thought it consisted of, the most common response was “meats?” However, this is not entirely accurate. With many countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, such as Israel, Italy, Greece, Spain, and France, each with their unique cuisines, the definition of the Mediterranean diet can be quite confusing.

To clarify what a typical Mediterranean diet entails, it includes plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, especially tomatoes. It also emphasizes fish instead of other meats, a daily cup of Edom (a type of lentil), high-quality olive oil and olives, yogurt, bananas, hard cheeses and relatively few dairy products. The diet also advocates for the use of natural and raw materials with minimal processed foods.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shed light on the importance of calorie intake when following a specific diet. In this study, 400 people were divided into two groups: one group was given the rules of the Mediterranean diet and told to eat according to those rules as much as they wanted while the other group was given a Mediterranean menu with restricted calories. After one year, the group on the restricted calorie diet experienced weight loss