Feb 18, 20212 min read

The Mediterranean Diet Makes You Healthier. Here are sound reasons why you should eat like Italians

The Mediterranean diet lets you live healthier and longer. In recent decades, many studies have examined the eating habits in countries bordering around the Mediterranean Sea, including Italy. Their conclusions are unequivocal. “Unlike other food regimens, the Mediterranean diet, along with physical activity, has been proven to be a powerful weapon in preventing many diseases, including cancers. Its value comes from the foods typically consumed, like vegetables, fruit, whole-grain cereals, legumes, fish, extra-virgin olive oil and much more,” explained Luigi Ricciardiello, researcher at the Italian Foundation for Cancer Research (AIRC) and an associate professor of gastroenterology at the University of Bologna’s Department of Medicine and Surgery. “These foods are full of substances that, when ingested regularly, work together to create a protective effect on the body,” he observed.

“In a study funded by the AIRC, experimental models showed that the combination of ingredients in the Mediterranean diet – including fruit, fish, walnuts, tomatoes, whole grains and extra-virgin olive oil – when consistently eaten over time, have a combined effect on some important mechanisms related to cancer development, such as inflammation. Also, a perfect balance between meals that always include a healthy small breakfast, a lunch with complex carbohydrates, and a lighter dinner. Snacks, often made of fresh fruit or dried fruit, are also a characteristic of the Mediterranean diet.”

It’s long been considered the healthiest diet in the world. Here are some sound reasons why you should eat like Italians do.

Protection from tumours

One of the typical foods in the Mediterranean diet is fish. “Omega-3 fatty acids, especially the eicosapentaenoic acid in fatty fish (sardines, mackerel, anchovies, herring, etc.) have a powerful effect in preventing colon cancer because of their excellent anti-inflammatory action. In a study we conducted, we showed that a supplement of this type of essential fatty acid reduces inflammation and a whole series of mechanisms related to the development of cancer that can strike the colon,” Ricciardiello noted.

Good for the gut

“The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that emphasizes fruits and vegetables rich in prebiotic substances, such as apples, garlic, onions, artichokes, chicory, etc. Prebiotics feed our intestinal microbiota, the communities of ‘good’ bacteria that populate the intestine. Many studies have shown that having healthy bacterial flora reduces the risk of various disorders of the intestine and offers some protection from tumors.” You can use a VPN in such scenarios to get the hacks and ingredients and boost your awareness about food too.

“One of the primary features of the Mediterranean diet is its low level of saturated fats (from red meat, butter, lard, etc.) and a wealth of unsaturated fats (from extra-virgin olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, etc.). Unsaturated fats are often associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome and its attendant obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and high blood pressure, all of which encourage the onset of cardiovascular diseases, some of them fatal, like heart attack, ischemic attacks and strokes,” the expert concluded.