Mediterranean Diet and Health Protective Properties

Abstract

The importance of food variety is emphasized especially when the effects of nutrition on health is being examined. Food variety allows the intake of various nutrients as well as non-nutrient compounds. The main characteristic of the Mediterranean diet is the food variety. Fruits, vegetables, bread and other grains, legumes and nuts are often included in the Mediterranean diet. In addition, olive oil is preferred as the main source of dietary fat in the Mediterranean diet. A regular consumption of fish, moderate intake of red wine with meals and a rare intake of red meat (1-2 times per month) are included in the other features of this dietary pattern. Therefore, it is thought that the Mediterranean diet can become a role model as a balanced, adequate diet. The Mediterranean diet has health protective properties when all these characteristics of the diet are taken into account. It is being emphasized that the Mediterranean diet can especially reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and cancer. The health protective properties of Mediterranean diet become significant with the intake of fibre, unsaturated fatty acids, bioactive compounds and antioxidants. In this review, the dietary characteristics of Mediterranean diet and its effects on health is investigated.