What Is the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean diet focuses mainly on the correct choice of foods, while the caloric aspect plays a secondary role. The moderation of portion size represents an essential element for the correct application of this diet.

As an indication, an adult man would need around 2,500 calories every day, of which 55-65% should come from carbohydrates, 20-30% from lipids, and only 10-15% from proteins.

The most important principles of the Mediterranean diet are contained in the following guidelines:

• Greater consumption of vegetable proteins compared to animal proteins
• Reduction of saturated fats in favor of unsaturated vegetable fats
• Moderation of the number of calories
• Increase in complex carbohydrates and strong moderation of simple ones
• Introduction of fibers
• Reduction of cholesterol intake
• The consumption of white meat is prevalent compared to red meat and is however limited to once or twice a week.
• Desserts are only consumed on special occasions
• Reduction in the consumption of sausages, spirits, white sugar, butter, fatty cheeses, mayonnaise, white salt, margarine, beef and pork (especially fatty cuts), and coffee.

What are the benefits of the following the Mediterranean diet?

Some principles of the Mediterranean diet represented and still represent the best defense against diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, myocardial infarction and stroke.

This diet, based on bread (preferably wholemeal), vegetables, fish, olive oil and fruit, provides proteins, lipids and sugars with high nutritional value, low in cholesterol, saturated lipids and simple sugars; it is also rich in vitamins, minerals and fibers.