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Mediterranean diet
Also known as: Mediterranean diet, Mediterranean diets, Mediterranean Diet, MD, MED, Greek Mediterranean diet
Facts (88)
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A Consensus Proposal for Nutritional Indicators to Assess ... - Frontiers frontiersin.org 44 facts
referenceThe article 'A Consensus Proposal for Nutritional Indicators to Assess the Sustainability of a Healthy Diet: The Mediterranean Diet as a Case Study' was submitted to the 'Nutrition and Environmental Sustainability' section of the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.
claimThe traditional Mediterranean Diet is recognized as a healthy dietary pattern that is characterized by a lower environmental impact.
claimMediterranean Diet indexes are primarily estimated using data from Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) or repeated 24-hour recall dietary questionnaires.
claimAdherence to the traditional Mediterranean Diet is declining in Northern, Southern, and Eastern Mediterranean countries due to lifestyle changes, the globalization of food markets, and economic and sociocultural factors.
referenceA 2013 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine examined the Mediterranean diet for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
claimThe use of population-specific, rather than universal, cutoff values for discriminating low or high consumption of Mediterranean Diet (MD) components complicates the comparison and validation of MD indexes.
claimThe Mediterranean Diet is considered a model for describing, understanding, and improving the sustainability of current food consumption patterns due to the pressure on its natural resources.
claimWaning adherence to the Mediterranean Diet is linked to health risks, including chronic nutrition-related diseases, disability, and increased mortality, driven by increased consumption of lipids, processed foods, and simple carbohydrates, and a decrease in the consumption of complex carbohydrates.
claimDetermining an 'optimal' Mediterranean Diet (MD) index is difficult because it requires evaluating the predictive ability of various indexes across different outcomes in one population and then validating those results in other populations.
referenceA 2012 study published in the Journal of Nutrition reported that adherence to the Mediterranean diet pattern has declined in Spanish adults.
referenceA 2009 study published in Public Health Nutrition compared the availability of Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean foods across several geographical areas over four decades.
claimThe use of sample-dependent cutoff points in Mediterranean Diet (MD) scores limits the ability to generalize identified associations between dietary patterns and health outcomes.
referenceThe Moli-sani study, published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases in 2014, reported a decline of the Mediterranean diet during a time of economic crisis.
referenceWalter C. Willett published 'The Mediterranean diet: science and practice' in the journal Public Health Nutrition in 2006.
claimThis consensus position paper attempts to define a non-exhaustive ensemble of the most appropriate nutrition and health indicators for assessing the sustainability of diets, using the Mediterranean Diet as a case study.
perspectiveAn 'optimal' Mediterranean Diet (MD) scale should be characterized by simplicity in construction and ease of use in both public health and clinical practice.
claimWaning adherence to the Mediterranean Diet is linked to a loss of biodiversity, caused by the globalization of food production and consumption and the homogenization of eating patterns.
claimThe authors used the Mediterranean Diet (MD) as a case study for the selection and analysis of sustainability indicators.
referenceThe ZOOM8 Study, published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition in 2014, assessed adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Italian school children.
referenceSerra-Majem, L., Roman, B., and Estruch, R. authored the paper 'Scientific evidence of interventions using the Mediterranean diet: a systematic review,' published in Nutrition Reviews in 2006.
referenceThe article 'A Consensus Proposal for Nutritional Indicators to Assess the Sustainability of a Healthy Diet: The Mediterranean Diet as a Case Study' was edited by Carola Strassner of Münster University of Applied Sciences.
claimScientific research has linked the Mediterranean Diet to benefits beyond cardiovascular health, including reduced risks of obesity, diabetes, cancer, depression, and cognitive decline, as well as improved quality of life.
referenceSáez-ciheam, S., Obrador, B., Bach-Faig, A., and Serra-Majem, L. authored the paper 'Environmental footprints of Mediterranean versus Western dietary patterns: beyond the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet,' published in Environmental Health in 2013.
referenceDe Marco et al. published 'The adherence of the diet to Mediterranean principle and its impacts on human and environmental health' in the International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy in 2014.
referenceA 2008 meta-analysis published in the BMJ found that adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with health status.
referenceA 2009 study published in Public Health Nutrition analyzed the worldwide variation of adherence to the Mediterranean diet between 1961–1965 and 2000–2003.
claimThe proposed nutrition indicators are intended to serve as a methodological framework for designing health, education, and agricultural policies to conserve traditional Mediterranean diets and enhance the sustainability of diets in general.
claimAdherence to the traditional Mediterranean Diet (MD) is measured using a priori defined indexes or scores that combine dietary components to capture the essence of the dietary pattern.
referenceThe article titled 'A Consensus Proposal for Nutritional Indicators to Assess the Sustainability of a Healthy Diet: The Mediterranean Diet as a Case Study' was published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition on August 29, 2016.
accountThe process for producing the document on nutritional indicators of sustainability for the Mediterranean Diet began in the second half of 2014, with a final agreement reached in Rome in April 2015.
referenceDernini, Meybeck, Burlingame, Gitz, Lacirignola, Debs, and others published 'Developing a methodological approach for assessing the sustainability of diets: the Mediterranean diet as a case study' in the journal New Medit in 2013.
referenceA 2006 study published in Public Health Nutrition examined population health and the Mediterranean diet in southern Mediterranean countries.
referenceA 2003 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine analyzed the adherence to a Mediterranean diet and its relationship to survival in a Greek population.
referenceThe Greek EPIC prospective cohort study, published in the BMJ in 2009, analyzed the anatomy of the health effects of the Mediterranean diet.
claimWaning adherence to the Mediterranean Diet is linked to environmental issues, specifically an exacerbated ecological footprint caused by increased consumption of foods from animal sources.
referenceGussow, J.D. authored the paper 'Mediterranean diets: are they environmentally responsible?' published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1995.
claimThe Mediterranean Diet (MD) can serve as a case study to guide inter-sectorial efforts to counteract ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, and diet homogenization caused by globalization.
referenceA 2006 article in Public Health Nutrition discussed the Mediterranean diet in a global context.
claimThe Mediterranean Diet is recognized as a healthier dietary pattern that also has a lower environmental impact.
claimAn International Working Group was formed in 2011 to define nutritional and health indicators relevant to assessing the sustainability of diets, specifically the Mediterranean Diet.
claimThe abbreviation MED stands for Mediterranean diet.
referenceThe article 'A Consensus Proposal for Nutritional Indicators to Assess the Sustainability of a Healthy Diet: The Mediterranean Diet as a Case Study' was reviewed by Youssef Aboussaleh of Ibn Tofail University, Susanne Gjedsted Bügel of the University of Copenhagen, and Adam Drewnowski of the University of Washington.
referenceNestle, M. authored the paper 'Mediterranean diets: historical and research overview,' published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1995.
claimRecent surveys indicate that many countries in the Mediterranean area are drifting away from the traditional Mediterranean Diet (MD) healthy pattern, showing a decline in adherence to the diet.
Dietary Guidelines and Quality - Principles of Nutritional Assessment nutritionalassessment.org 6 facts
claimThere are a large number of scores and indices measuring adherence to different versions of the Mediterranean diet, with original scores developed for older adults and many versions adapted for children and adolescents.
claimIn the second half of the 20th century, the definition of a 'protective' diet shifted from preventing nutrient deficiencies to reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), as supported by evidence regarding dietary patterns like the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
claimResearchers such as Echeverría et al. (2019) and El Kinany et al. (2020) have developed adapted Mediterranean diet scores for use in regions where the original dietary pattern requires modification.
claimMediterranean diets are generally characterized by a high intake of plant-based foods including olive oil, fruit, nuts, vegetables, and cereals; a moderate intake of fish and poultry; a low intake of dairy products, red meat, processed meats, and sweets; and a moderate amount of wine.
claimAnand et al. (2015), reporting on a global World Heart Federation Consensus Conference, suggest that the evidence base for the Mediterranean diet is sufficiently consolidated to be recommended globally, provided it is adapted with foods from other regions.
claimScoring for Mediterranean diet components is sometimes absolute based on a priori criteria, but for many scores, it is based on distributions of intake in the study sample, such as assigning high points to the highest quartile or quintile of intakes.
Diet Quality Indices: Measures for Bridging Nutrition and Public Health link.springer.com 2 days ago 5 facts
referenceTrichopoulou et al. (2003) examined the relationship between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and survival in a Greek population.
referenceMilà-Villarroel R, Bach-Faig A, Puig J et al. (2011) published a study in Public Health Nutrition titled 'Comparison and evaluation of the reliability of indexes of adherence to the Mediterranean diet'.
referenceSofi (2009) reported that evidence regarding the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet grew.
referenceVetrani et al. (2022) proposed "Planeterranea" as a framework to broaden the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet worldwide.
referenceMartínez-González MA, Hershey MS, Zazpe I et al. (2017) examined the transferability of the Mediterranean diet to non-Mediterranean countries, published in Nutrients 9(11):1226.
A Scoping Review of Indicators for Sustainable Healthy Diets frontiersin.org Jan 12, 2022 3 facts
referenceThe Mediterranean diet was identified as an environmentally friendly option based on evidence from the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort in a 2018 study by Fresán, Martínez-Gonzalez, Sabaté, and Bes-Rastrollo.
referenceTrichopoulou et al. (2005) published 'Modified mediterranean diet and survival: EPIC-elderly prospective cohort study' in the BMJ, examining the link between the Mediterranean diet and survival rates.
referenceCastañé and Antón (2017) assessed the nutritional quality and environmental impact of Mediterranean and vegan diets.
Sustainable and healthy diet index (SHDI) unveils regional ... link.springer.com Sep 11, 2025 3 facts
measurementDespite the Mediterranean diet being typical for the region, vegetable intake in Cilento, Italy, was found to be low.
referenceThe narrative review 'Narrative review of Mediterranean diet in Cilento: longevity and potential prevention for prostate cancer' by Ferro et al. was published in Therapeutic Advances in Urology in 2021.
claimThe Planetary Health Diet (PHD) was chosen as a benchmark for the Sustainable and Healthy Diet Index (SHDI) because it provides a globally applicable reference point, unlike local food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) or traditional diets like the Mediterranean diet, which are not uniformly applicable across all case study territories.
Measurement of diets that are healthy, environmentally sustainable ... frontiersin.org 3 facts
referenceBlas et al. published 'A comparison of the mediterranean diet and current food consumption patterns in Spain from a nutritional and water perspective' in Science of The Total Environment in 2019.
claimThe Mediterranean Diet has been discussed as a healthful diet that fulfills most nutritional recommendations in dietary guidelines since the 1960s.
claimResearchers frequently compared current dietary patterns with named reference diets such as the Mediterranean Diet, New Nordic diet, or EAT-Lancet Diet, or assessed them against national dietary guidelines.
Associations between dietary diversity and self-rated health in a ... link.springer.com Feb 28, 2025 3 facts
referenceThe Mediterranean diet has been analyzed as a subject of intangible cultural heritage and sustainability.
referenceA 2015 chapter in 'The Mediterranean Diet' examined the contribution of fish to the Mediterranean diet.
claimThe promotion of the Mediterranean diet in Portugal and its associated health benefits are consistent with the 5th pattern (behavioral changes) of Barry Popkin's nutritional transition model.
Ethnobotanical and Food Composition Monographs of Selected ... ouci.dntb.gov.ua 3 facts
claimWild or semi-wild edible greens, known as chórta, are an integral part of the traditional Greek Mediterranean diet due to their nutritional value and presence of phytonutrients.
referenceThe Local Food-Nutraceutical Consortium published a multidisciplinary pharmacological and ethnobotanical approach to understanding local Mediterranean diets in 2005.
referenceTrichopoulou et al. (2000) reported that edible wild greens and green pies are a potentially rich source of antioxidant nutrients within the Mediterranean diet, detailing their nutritional composition and flavonoid content.
History of modern nutrition science—implications for current ... bmj.com Jun 13, 2018 2 facts
claimPhysiological intervention trials, large cohort studies, and randomised clinical trials provide more consistent evidence for diet patterns, such as Mediterranean and similar food-based patterns, compared to single nutrient studies.
claimDiet patterns such as traditional Mediterranean or vegetarian diets, which emphasize minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, and plant oils, are recognized as beneficial compared to diets high in processed foods rich in starch, sugar, salt, and additives.
Editorial: Local, traditional and indigenous food systems in the 21st ... frontiersin.org 2 facts
claimSobhani et al. assessed and compared the sustainability dimensions of typical Iranian dietary intakes against sustainable optimal diets based on Iranian, Mediterranean, and vegetarian food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs).
claimAmong the diets studied by Sobhani et al., the Mediterranean diet demonstrated the highest improvements in costs, sustainability, and nutrition compared to the typical Iranian diet.
What Are The Global Impacts of The Western Diet On Health? rupahealth.com 2 facts
claimThe authors of the Rupa Health article claim that incorporating a Mediterranean diet and adding supplements such as Vitamin D and Reishi mushrooms can contribute to better metabolic health.
claimThe Mediterranean diet prioritizes whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fish, and healthy fats like olive oil. This diet provides fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants, and may support heart health, blood sugar management, and overall wellness.
Global dietary quality in 185 countries from 1990 to 2018 show wide ... nature.com Sep 19, 2022 2 facts
referenceA 2019 study by Trébuchet et al. published in the American Heart Journal examined the prospective association between various dietary scores and cardiovascular disease risk, specifically comparing the Mediterranean diet to National Nutritional Scores.
referenceB. Roman, L. Carta, M. A. Martínez-González, and L. Serra-Majem reviewed the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in the elderly, published in Clinical Interventions in Aging in 2008.
Western pattern diet - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 1 fact
claimDietary pattern analysis focuses on overall diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, rather than individual foods or nutrients.
Research reveals devastating impact of Western diet on human health news-medical.net Jun 18, 2023 1 fact
claimThe Mediterranean diet, which is associated with beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, comprises fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats such as olive oil and nuts, contrasting with the highly processed foods found in the Western diet.
How do the indices based on the EAT-Lancet recommendations ... medrxiv.org May 14, 2024 1 fact
claimThe study's findings regarding low concordance among indices align with previous studies comparing indices for Mediterranean diet adherence, emphasizing the need to consider methodological differences.
Modern Diet and its Impact on Human Health - Longdom Publishing longdom.org 1 fact
claimMonounsaturated fatty acids, commonly found in the Mediterranean diet, may reduce cardiovascular risks beyond their effects on plasma lipids, such as by normalizing glucose tolerance and blood pressure.
The Evolution of Diet - National Geographic nationalgeographic.com 1 fact
claimThe people of Crete practiced the so-called Mediterranean diet long before it became a popular trend.
Measuring Adherence to Sustainable Healthy Diets - R Discovery discovery.researcher.life Dec 26, 2022 1 fact
claimSustainable Healthy Diet models identified in the literature include local food-based diets, the Mediterranean diet, and the Planetary Health Diet, all of which emphasize plant-based choices.
Portulaca oleracea L. and Porophyllum ruderale (Jacq.) Cass - PMC pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 1 fact
claimWild edible plants have played an important role in traditional Mediterranean diets.
Wild edible plants for food security, dietary diversity, and nutraceuticals frontiersin.org Nov 27, 2025 1 fact
referenceCapurso (2024) provided a historical perspective on the Mediterranean diet in the journal Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.
Paleolithic diet - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 1 fact
claimDiets reflecting a Paleolithic pattern of nutrition share similarities with traditional ethnic diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, which has been found to result in more health benefits than the Western diet.
Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in the mountainous ... link.springer.com Oct 4, 2024 1 fact
referenceA 2020 study published in Economic Botany analyzed the contribution of wild edible plants to the Mediterranean diet through a case study along the coast of Campania, Southern Italy.