The Mediterranean diet is considered healthy by many experts. It mostly consists of plant-based foods. Dieudonne Bukaba, a nutrition expert, says that this kind of diet is a manner of eating that is based on the traditional cuisines of Greece, Italy, and other Mediterranean nations.

He explains that the diet is built on plant-based foods such as; whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices. It is a diet that emphasises fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and olive oil, instead of pork, or chicken. ‘Red wine is allowed in moderation.’

David Rukerabigwi, a nutrition expert and the mastermind of health site healtharness.com, says that this diet also includes a moderate intake of fish, dairy products, and a low intake of red meat and processed meats. This dietary pattern has been associated with health benefits, including a lower risk of chronic disease and mortality.

Health benefits

"The Mediterranean diet is used as a healthy eating pattern to avoid cardiovascular disease, escalate longevity, and stimulate healthy ageing. When combined with calorie restriction, the diet may also support healthy weight reduction,” Bukaba says.

He adds that the Mediterranean diet is believed to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, lessen the risk of stroke in women, and avert cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (the type of dementia that affects memory, thinking, and behaviour.)

Bukaba explains that a Mediterranean diet may help prevent type 2 diabetes, and may aid people with Rheumatoid Arthritis, a condition that can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in joints.

He adds that the Mediterranean diet meal plan may help prevent some forms of cancer. According to a systematic review and meta-analysis, the Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of malignancies such as breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and head and neck cancers, and helps evade deaths among cancer survivors.

For him, although the diet can cut weight, sugary beverages are closely connected to weight growth, and substituting them with water will help you cut calories and lose weight. Another reason the Mediterranean diet may help you lose weight is that it emphasises real foods over processed items.

Diet, in general, and the Mediterranean diet in particular, play a vital role in the development of colorectal cancer since good or unhealthy dietary patterns are regarded among the most important risk factors in the initiation of this neoplasia—an abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth, he adds.

"Regardless of inherited, traditional, or environmental influences, a higher quality of food, as long as it is nutritious, is connected with a lower risk of colon and colorectal cancer (CRC). Significant lifestyle modifications including a halt to smoking might result in a 70 per cent reduction in CRC incidence,” Bukaba says, adding that data suggests that olive oil and whole grains enhance the protective benefits of such a dietary pattern against cancer.

Rukerabigwi says that there is evidence to suggest that the Mediterranean diet can help to improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar control. It may also reduce inflammation.

He explains that the Mediterranean diet has plenty of benefits including, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as improving cognitive function and maintaining a healthy weight. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to follow this type of diet if you’re not used to eating certain foods.

He offers some tips on how you can follow a Mediterranean diet; include plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats in your diet, limit your intake of red meat and processed meats, choose fish and poultry over red meat, and use olive oil when cooking. But also, get regular physical activity.

Food to eat and limit

When following a Mediterranean diet, Rukerabigwi informs that there are certain foods that you should limit or avoid altogether. Processed meats, sugary sweets, and refined carbs should be eaten in moderation, as they can lead to weight gain and other health problems.

He instead urges to focus on eating fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. These nutritious foods will help you maintain a healthy weight, lower your risk of chronic diseases, and improve your overall health.

Possible health issues

Bukaba notes that although wine is a regular component of a Mediterranean diet, however, certain people should not consume alcohol.

Experts say that people with diabetes should be careful about their wine intake. This is because drinking alcohol on an empty stomach can expressively lower blood sugar and lead to severe hypoglycaemia (having low blood glucose levels that require assistance from another person to treat), which can lead to a diabetic coma. Other people that shouldn’t take wine include, people taking disulfiram, individuals with asthma, and anyone taking sedatives or painkillers.