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Mediterranean diet wins best diet seventh year in a row for overall health.

entremet

entremet

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Oct 26, 2017
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Over years of research and diet rankings, one regimen has consistently been found to bring a host of health benefits, and it hasn't fallen out of favor amid changing fads.

The Mediterranean diet once again topped the list in U.S. News & World Reports' annual ranking for 2024 — for the seventh consecutive time — earning it a renewed wave of media attention.

The eating regimen is plant-based and emphasizes multiple servings of fruits and vegetables daily, alongside whole grains, legumes, nuts, olive oil and seafood.

Red meats are eaten only occasionally, and dairy and poultry are consumed in moderation, as well. Highly processed foods or those with added sugars are generally avoided.

Researchers and dietitians say following the diet long term can increase the odds of living a longer, healthier life. A wealth of studies suggest it lowers risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, while potentially slowing cognitive decline.

"It's a way of life, it's a cuisine, it dates back thousands of years, and in the last five to six decades, it is the most highly researched cuisine in the world," said Catherine Itsiopoulos, a professor of nutrition and dietetics at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, who has published several books on the Mediterranean diet.
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One note about this "diet", it's actually not culinarily accurate., it's a nutrition and dietetics category.

It's just a descriptor--so you can the adhere to the diet with Japanese cuisine or Mexican cuisine. It's also not a weight loss protocol really. It's more about nutrition and health outcomes as the article quotes:

Researchers and dietitians say following the diet long term can increase the odds of living a longer, healthier life. A wealth of studies suggest it lowers risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, while potentially slowing cognitive decline.
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The key is multiple servings of fruits/veg, along with whole grains, legumes, nuts, olive and seafood. Red meat and sweets are still allowed, just should not be frequent.

www.nbcnews.com

Why one particular diet is found to be the best year after year

The Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes vegetables, fruit, seafood, olive oil, nuts and whole grains, is consistently shown to boost health and longevity.
www.nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com

Here'a good primer from a Youtube Short:


View: https://youtu.be/J1wOMhN0kt4?si=9Dtti2hq4kpJOw5N
 
AuthenticM

AuthenticM

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entremet said:
The key is multiple servings of fruits/veg, along with whole grains, legumes, nuts, olive and seafood. Red meat and sweets are still allowed, just should not be frequent.
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sounds like everything I've ever heard about good food habits since I was in elementary school.
 
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entremet

entremet

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AuthenticM said:
sounds like everything I've ever heard about good food habits since I was in elementary school.
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Yeah, but it can be hard to follow depending on your food environment, access to fresh fruits and veg, economic insecurity, etc.

The actual USDA recommendations are in line with this. Which is why I don't get some fitness bros hating on the US standards.

 
Viewt

Viewt

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Turnscr3w said:
Unfortunately I still can't lose weight even with it :(
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The article kinda goes into it, but the Mediterranean Diet isn't really for weight loss - it's about cultivating nutrition. So while you may not see the kind of drop in caloric intake that you need to sustainably drop pounds, what you're putting into your body is going to be far better for it.
 
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entremet

entremet

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Turnscr3w said:
Unfortunately I still can't lose weight even with it :(
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Weight control is a very complex thing--unforunately. With new breakthroughs like GLP-1, we're learning it's not as easy for everyone.

There's a big talk of "food noise" in that community.

That's my problem with the long term eat less, exercise more recommendations from fitness folks. It's not so much about that, but hunger and hunger management. Studies show that those that struggle with weight tend to have more "food noise".

When they limit calories, they tend to relapse since their body literally compels them to eat.

60 Minutes had a great segment on this:


View: https://youtu.be/uaYLApCdKBo?si=HbXH7wp2QNC7DgC0
 
louiedog

louiedog

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Oct 25, 2017
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I eat a lot of veggies, whole grains, nuts, legumes, herbs, etc. because I love those foods. I eat tons of different cuisines but stick to those sorts of foods within them.

I love sweet treats and other things that should be eaten less frequently, but I'd much rather infrequently enjoy a higher quality version of those things instead of trying to find low calorie versions that I can consume all the time or cheap versions that are affordable to eat regularly. Eating 1/4 of a $10 chocolate bar is much more satisfying than a whole Hershey bar. Having a wonderful woodfire oven pizza or really good version of a NYC style pie one a month is better than Domino's once a week. I'll drink regular soda a few times a year, but I have zero desire to drink a diet soda every day.

I find this to be a very pleasurable and easy way to eat. I grew up around farms and my mom cooked our meals. We rarely ate out and access to fast food was actually worse than produce and raw ingredients. I now live in an area where I can walk to several high quality markets and grocery stores. I recognize that it's not the case for everyone.
 
mnk

mnk

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Nov 11, 2017
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That's okay, I still have hope my US junk food diet will win next year.
 
fragamemnon

fragamemnon

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The big thing is that it really puts an emphasis on no processed foods or sugar. You get your sweets from fruits, mostly fruits like berries and fruits with health skin like apples and pears.

I've moved into this over the last year or so and it's been super easy to subsitute into eat habits and successfully adopt. That's part of its power-you really don't feel like you're keeping yourself away from the stuff that's good.

I eat vegetarian about 2-3 days a week, and then a small portion of lean red meat every week, usually balanced with a protein like beans or tofu. I also note that the diet is low on saturated fats, and so I eat dairy very sparingly (if at all during a week). I will eat an extremely small (half a serving) or chocolate with my after-dinner coffee (decaf of course) after dinner.

It's not the best at losing weight-this requires you to be mindful of consumption, especially in regard to healthy fats, but combined with the recommended amount of weekly exercise it seems extremely unlikely you'd put on weight if used as a maintenance diet. That's kind of its power, you lock in habits that aren't hard and once there your lifetime risk of metabolic damage drops like a rock.
 
Mivey

Mivey

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Oct 25, 2017
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Turnscr3w said:
Unfortunately I still can't lose weight even with it :(
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The discussion here isn't about losing weight or that following this diet will mean you will lose weight. You will need to get to reduce your caloric intake and/or increasing how much you burn consistently and essentially forever. That's not about the nutritional quality of what you eat. You could eat McDonals all day, and still lose weight if you manage to control your calories somehow.
 
Turnscr3w

Turnscr3w

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Mivey said:
The discussion here isn't about losing weight or that following this diet will mean you will lose weight. You will need to get to reduce your caloric intake and/or increasing how much you burn consistently and essentially forever. That's not about the nutritional quality of what you eat. You could eat McDonals all day, and still lose weight if you manage to control your calories somehow.
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Forget about it.
 
Viewt

Viewt

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nihilence said:
Fish is nasty though.
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I recognize and understand that everyone is welcome to their own eating habits. If you don't like fish, don't eat it. And if you're a vegetarian/vegan/allergic, obviously that's totally valid.

...but fish is delicious and when I hear folks say they just categorically don't like it, I wonder if y'all have just eaten shitty fish. From tuna sashimi to roasted salmon collar, sardines in olive oil to fish tacos to shellfish, if you wanna get broad with the definition, there's just so much variety that it's hard for me to believe that you just don't like fish, period.
 
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entremet

entremet

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nihilence said:
Fish is nasty though.
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Seafood is pretty varied! Shrimp, shellfish, finfish, etc.

There's fatty fish like salmon. Oily fish like mackerel. Lean fish like tilapia.

Unless you have an allergy, then obviously, no seafood for you.

Or you can try plantbased protein like tofu.
 
Xadra

Xadra

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i sometimes dip my meals in the Mediterranean seawater to make them healthy
 
Hollywood Duo

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Viewt said:
Might just be the quality of the olives. I grew up not really liking them, and when I had them in Morocco, it was a revelation. You don't get the overwhelming salt bomb effect - it's a lot more mild tasting.
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I've had them all over, Greek Islands, Spain, Morocco, etc I just can't do it. I wish I could but it's not for me.
 
Saucycarpdog

Saucycarpdog

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Depends on which version you follow.

There's one that avoids meat, one that avoids carbs like pasta and bread, one that restricts alcohol, etc.

It's obviously one of the better diets, any diet that focuses on whole foods is
 
J-Skee

J-Skee

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Oh wow, if I didn't eat chicken everyday, I'd be on the Mediterranean diet it seems.
 

francium87

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"it dates back thousands of years" means very little, in fact maybe negative, in terms of how we approach and understand health
 
Palette Swap

Palette Swap

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It's also remarkably appropriate for vegetarian diets. Hell, one of the reasons it works is that it doesn't depend too much on meat while staying varied.

I'm not a vegetarian, and I'm not arguing that people should be, but I'm cognizant of the fact that one way or another, we're gonna need to collectively produce and eat less meat, and that's one great way to do it.
 
Bardeh

Bardeh

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Saucycarpdog said:
Depends on which version you follow.

There's one that avoids meat, one that avoids carbs like pasta and bread, one that restricts alcohol, etc.

It's obviously one of the better diets, any diet that focuses on whole foods is
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This isn't a prescribed diet that has 'versions'. It's just how people in the mediterranean have traditionally eaten.
 
Saucycarpdog

Saucycarpdog

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entremet said:
Seafood is pretty varied! Shrimp, shellfish, finfish, etc.

There's fatty fish like salmon. Oily fish like mackerel. Lean fish like tilapia.

Unless you have an allergy, then obviously, no seafood for you.

Or you can try plantbased protein like tofu.
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You should avoid seafood with high amounts of mercury. So that's something to keep in mind.
 
sfedai0

sfedai0

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Oct 27, 2017
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I eat everything (well no beef and try to limit pork) but Im a bit leery of eating too much seafood giving how much pollution there is in the ocean/rivers. Then again, you could say the same about the meat industry.
 
Tsunami561

Tsunami561

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"Red meats are eaten only occasionally, and dairy and poultry are consumed in moderation". Uuhh... must be a specific part of the mediterranean
 
BLEEN

BLEEN

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Bear said:
I just take fish oil to supplement omega 3s.
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Same here. Absolutely hate pretty much all seafood. The smell 😬

I once in a blue will make shrimp alfredo but only deshelled and frozen. Way too fishy-tasting any other way.

I like to say, "The only thing I like to eat from the sea is saltwater taffy and seaweed." Lol

I like sushi too but only the weird ones with like mango, avocado, tofu, sweet potato, etc that have no fish. I'm weird.
 
Bear

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BLEEN said:
Same here. Absolutely hate pretty much all seafood. The smell 😬

I once in a blue will make shrimp alfredo but only deshelled and frozen. Way too fishy-tasting any other way.

I like to say, "The only thing I like to eat from the sea is saltwater taffy and seaweed." Lol

I like sushi too but only the weird ones with like mango, avocado, tofu, etc. I'm weird.
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I'm the same way. Fish is too difficult to cook at home for me and I usually don't like it enough to order it out. So fish oil it is. I like to think that helps undo all the bad stuff I eat too.
 
thediamondage

thediamondage

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Oct 25, 2017
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i have a feeling all of these are more about not eating processed foods and factory farm meats rather than specific food groups.

There is a vast difference between say seafood you buy fresh from the local port caught the same day over the McFish sandwich at McDonalds. both are technically fish, but not really

we need the control group who only eats Doritos, Mountain Dew, and Taco Bell
 
RobotHaus

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A lot of my diet has shifted to a vegan Mediterranean diet. It does make me feel healthier. It's a very good base with some great principles(little to no processed foods, healthy fats, natural sources of primary nutrients). It's also nice to add variety though if this isn't your bag.
 
n0stalghia

n0stalghia

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The only surprise here is that a study was needed at all. What other diet would even be up for consideration?
 
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MikeProtagonist

MikeProtagonist

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Oct 26, 2017
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Bear said:
I'm the same way. Fish is too difficult to cook at home for me and I usually don't like it enough to order it out. So fish oil it is. I like to think that helps undo all the bad stuff I eat too.
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It's super easy to bake salmon. Just drizzle a little oil over it, maybe rub some spice onto it. It takes 12 minutes at 200 degrees C if the salmon is not frozen. I'm using a recipe which has a chili paste (it says harissa but I'm using sambal oelek and I bet gochujang would also work) mixed with a bit of black pepper rubbed onto the salmon, then you steam some asparagus and cheery tomates in a pan with some stock. Super delicious, it's just that asparagus is super expensive over the winter. It was my go-to when I wanted to lower my blood pressure.

Salmon goes with almost anything, it just needs to not be fried dry which is why baking is easier.
 
DarthMasta

DarthMasta

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Feb 17, 2018
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John Harker said:
and curious why it also avoids poultry
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It doesn't. But there's only so many meals in a week, and if you're already going heavy on the fish, add some red meat in there, dinners are usually on the lighter side so you might not even have animal protein, and there isn't much room for poultry.

If you don't like fish, poultry is fine, better than red meats usually, it's not something that people avoid.
 
Zeal543

Zeal543

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May 15, 2020
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My diet falls in line with this except I don't like fish outside of sushi, gotta find something that works for me
 

ruggiex

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Oct 27, 2017
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The diet itself is good but what's missing for most of the people is the life style portion. No diet is going to fix anything when living under constant stress lol.
 
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