The one diet that’s good for everything: Best ideas of the century
The Mediterranean diet is the crème de la crème of healthy eating. Packed with fiber, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, a little fish and minimal meat and dairy, it provides an assortment of health – and planet – benefits, while also being absolutely delicious. “It’s not only healthy, it’s also extremely tasty,” says Luigi Fontana of the University of Sydney in Australia.
Unlike some dietary fads, the Mediterranean diet is backed by decades of evidence. But it’s only in the 21st century that a series of randomized controlled trials established it as the scientific gold standard.
In the 1940s, physiologist Ancel Keys was among the first to argue that diet reduced the risk of heart disease through low levels of saturated fats – found in meat and dairy – which increase the presence of artery-clogging cholesterol.
Keys and his wife Margaret, a nutritionist, conducted a study comparing the diet and heart health of people in seven countries, finding that the Mediterranean diet was linked to a lower risk of heart disease. But they didn’t take into account other factors, such as participants’ income levels, that might have influenced the association.
Stronger evidence came in 1999 when scientists randomly assigned people who had already had a heart attack to follow either a Mediterranean diet or a low-fat diet. This demonstrates that the Mediterranean diet actually appears to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.
This discovery paved the way for a revolution in our understanding of food over the next 25 years. After 2000, several randomized controlled trials confirmed the cardiovascular benefits. They also found that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. That’s not all: later studies have linked it to a reduced risk of breast cancer, slower cognitive decline, and greater chances of successful in vitro fertilization, although more evidence is needed to confirm all of this. “By following a Mediterranean diet, you reduce your risk of developing multiple chronic diseases,” says Fontana.
We also understand why diet is so good for us: fiber and extra virgin olive oil seem to be crucial. Both are thought to stimulate “good” gut bacteria that reduce harmful inflammation. “Many chronic diseases are caused by inflammation, so this is one of the reasons why eating [the] The Mediterranean diet is very beneficial,” says Richard Hoffman of the University of Hertfordshire, UK.
This diet is also beneficial for the environment, as meat and dairy production accounts for around 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while legumes and vegetables have a much smaller impact. As the world gets warmer, we need to shed the fads and embrace the diet that has been around forever.
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