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9 reasons to try the Mediterranean diet

Dieting doesn't always have to mean deprivation. This eating plan is simple, delicious, nonrestrictive, and benefits your whole body.

Updated on December 3, 2024

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The Mediterranean-style diet has been all the rage in recent years. This eating pattern is built on the fundamentals of healthy eating—emphasizing fresh produce, lean meats, whole grains, and healthy fats—and is colorful, delicious, and satisfying. No wonder it perennially lands atop U.S. News & World Report’s list of outstanding diets. There are loads of factors thatShow More

a mix of healthy foods
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The eating plan

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. According to the USDA, foods high in saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium are best left off your plate.

Proponents of theShow More

couple cooking together
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It may lower your risk of developing depression

Depression affects just under 17 percent of U.S. adults at some point in their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Several factors can increase your risk of depression, including a family history of the condition, a traumatic or stressful event, big lifeShow More

man sleeping peacefully
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It's linked to better sleep quality in older adults

The relationship between diet and sleep might be a two-way street. A 2023 review published in Nutrition Research Reviews found that getting less than the recommended seven to nine hours of nightly sleep might increase the amount of fatty and sugary foods you crave. 

On the flip side, aShow More

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It's super simple

The Mediterranean style of eating is straightforward: Just fill your plate with the nutrients your body needs and there will be little room left for foods that are less healthy. This simplicity, coupled with the plan's flexibility, make the Mediterranean diet relatively easy to stick to.

"I thinkShow More

couple checking blood sugar
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It helps control diabetes

Obesity, which is linked to an unhealthy diet, can increase your risk for type 2 diabetes. In most cases, diabetes can be managed with a healthy diet, regular exercise, blood sugar monitoring, medication, insulin, or a combination of these interventions. Certain eating plans are more effective forShow More

healthy fish dinner
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It's linked to lower cancer risk

A healthful diet may help lower the risk of developing some cancers. For example, a 2023 review published in the Frontiers in Nutrition looked at 11 studies that involved more than 1.3 million participants. They found evidence that closely following a Mediterranean diet lowered the risk ofShow More

mature woman looking at tablet
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It reduces cognitive decline

Your brain changes as you age, and, in older adults, these changes can include decreases in cognitive function. But the Mediterranean diet may give a whole new meaning to the phrase "brain food."

A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Nutrition suggests a link betweenShow More

mix of healthy foods
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It boosts heart health

A number of factors, including your weight, age, blood pressure, activity levels, and family history, contribute to your risk of heart disease. But your diet plays a part, too.

While unhealthy eating habits can hurt your heart, following a Mediterranean diet may help protect it. A 2023 systematicShow More

mature couple jogging
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It protects older adults

Frailty is a syndrome common in older people that involves several conditions, including unintentional weight loss, low energy, and muscle weakness. Frail adults are also at an increased risk for bone fractures, falls, and dementia.

The good news is that there may be ways to slow the degree ofShow More

Four black women sitting around a table and enjoying a healthy meal together
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It's been linked to a lower risk of stroke

Because a Mediterranean diet plays an important role in preventing cardiovascular disease, it can also help prevent stroke, a cardiovascular event. One of the reasons is that 60 percent of strokes are caused by atherosclerosis, or blood vessels becoming blocked, often because of high cholesterol.Show More

Slideshow sources open slideshow sources

American Heart Association. What is the Mediterranean Diet? Page last reviewed January 9, 2020. 
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans: 2020–2025—Executive Summary. PDF accessed January 20, 2024. 
Mayo Clinic. Mediterranean diet for heart health. July 15, 2023.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mental Health Conditions: Depression and Anxiety. Page last reviewed September 14, 2022. 
Cleveland Clinic. How Exercise Affects Your Sleep. November 10, 2020. 
Mayo Clinic. Napping: Do's and don'ts for healthy adults. November 9, 2022. 
DeAngelis, Tori. “That salad isn’t just good for your nutrition—it may help stave off depression.” American Psychological Association. June 1, 2023.
Selvaraj R, Selvamani TY, Zahra A, et al. Association Between Dietary Habits and Depression: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2022 Dec 9;14(12):e32359. 
Akhlaghi M, Kohanmoo A. Sleep deprivation in development of obesity, effects on appetite regulation, energy metabolism, and dietary choices. Nutr Res Rev. 2023 Oct 31:1-21. 
Scoditti E, Tumolo MR, Garbarino S. Mediterranean Diet on Sleep: A Health Alliance. Nutrients. 2022 Jul 21;14(14):2998. 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tips for Better Sleep. Page last reviewed September 13, 2022.
Milenkovic T, Bozhinovska N, Macut D, et al. Mediterranean Diet and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Perpetual Inspiration for the Scientific World. A Review. Nutrients. 2021 Apr 15;13(4):1307.
Zhu Q, Shu L, Zhou F, et al. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and risk of gastric cancer: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Front Nutr. 2023 Sep 8;10:1259453.
Morze J, Danielewicz A, Przybyłowicz K, et al. An updated systematic review and meta-analysis on adherence to mediterranean diet and risk of cancer. Eur J Nutr. 2021 Apr;60(3):1561-1586.
Fu J, Tan LJ, Lee JE, et al. Association between the mediterranean diet and cognitive health among healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Nutr. 2022 Jul 28;9:946361.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Know Your Risk for Heart Disease. Page last reviewed March 21, 2023.
Laffond A, Rivera-Picón C, Rodríguez-Muñoz PM, et al. Mediterranean Diet for Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality: An Updated Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2023 Jul 28;15(15):3356. 
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source: Potassium. Page last reviewed March 2023.
Wang Y, Hao Q, Su L, et al. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and the Risk of Frailty in Old People: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. 2018 May 22;5(613-618).
Karam G, Agarwal A, Sadeghirad B, et al. Comparison of seven popular structured dietary programmes and risk of mortality and major cardiovascular events in patients at increased cardiovascular risk: systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMJ 2023;380:e072003. 

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