Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is a diet inspired by the eating habits and traditional food typical of southern Spain, southern Italy, and Crete, and formulated in the early 1960s.^[1] It is distinct from Mediterranean cuisine, which covers the actual cuisines of the Mediterranean countries, and from the Atlantic diet of northwestern Spain and Portugal. While inspired by a specific time and place, the "Mediterranean diet" was later refined based on the results of multiple scientific studies.^[2]

This approach emphasizes a plant-based diet, focusing on unprocessed cereals, legumes, vegetables, and fruits.^[3][4] It also includes moderate consumption of fish, dairy products (mostly cheese and yogurt), and a low amount of red meat.^[3][5] Olive oil has been studied as a potential health factor for reducing all-cause mortality and the risk of chronic diseases.^[6]

The Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality in observational studies.^[7][8] A 2017 review provided evidence that the Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of heart disease and early death.^[9] The Mediterranean diet may help with weight loss in obese people.^[10] The Mediterranean diet is one of three healthy diets recommended in the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, along with the DASH diet and vegetarian diet.^[11]

As a nutritional recommendation, the Mediterranean diet is different from the cultural practices identified by UNESCO in 2010 under the heading "Mediterranean diet" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which defined the diet as "a set of skills, knowledge, rituals, symbols and traditions concerning crops, harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry, conservation, processing, cooking, and particularly the sharing and consumption of food".^[12][13]