Mediterranean Diet

Mediterranean Diet

Following the Appian Way

Pasta, olive oil, and some vino aren’t a bad way to keep your heart happy

The Greeks and the Romans have long been celebrated for the genius they displayed in creating everything from temples, arches, and statuary to poetry, drama, and the foundations of democracy. Now, researchers are discovering that these ancient innovators also bequeathed their countrymen a diet that may be as close to nutritionally perfect as the world has ever seen.

The Mediterranean diet, as it is being referred to by both nutritionists and cookbook writers, is long on pastas, breads, and other grains as well as fruits, vegetables, and generous servings of olive oil. It frowns on eating red meat more than a few times per month and urges that poultry, fish, and eggs be limited to no more than a few times per week. It also advocates, controversially, that adults drink a glass or two of wine daily.

Follow such a diet, say researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, and you are likely to cut substantially your risk of heart disease and cancer, especially of the colon and prostate.

Photo by Elena

To make the Mediterranean diet easy to understand, the Harvard researchers recently joined with two other prominent groups, the European office of the World Health Organization, and Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust, a Boston-based nutrition foundation, to issue a revised version of the USDA food pyramid that highlights the Mediterranean diet’s nutritional priorities.

Unlike the USDA pyramid, which places fats, oils, and sweets at its apex to indicate that they are to be used only sparingly, the Mediterranean diet reserves its most disapproving spot at the top of the pyramid for red meat, leaving fat unmentioned. That’s because the Mediterranean diet is not low-fat. Under the Med diet’s guidelines, in fact, up to 35 percent of calories are allowed to come from fat, although no more than 7 or 8 percent of that may be saturated fat; the USDA pyramid allows only 30 percent fat, but fails to distinguish between saturated and unsaturated fat.

The Mediterranean diet’s relatively fat-friendly attitude is explained by the fact that much of its fat comes from olive oil, which means it is mostly nounsaturated. Monounsaturated fat has been repeatedly shown to increase high-density lipoproteins – the “good cholesterol” in the blood – while reducing the body’s total cholesterol level. Saturated fat, however, raises the body’s blood cholesterol count and boosts the risk of heart disease, yet the USDA pyramid fails to distinguish between saturated and unsaturated fat, a serious flaw as far as Mediterranean diet proponents are concerned.

The Mediterranean diet is not without its critics, to be sure. Its relatively generous fat allowance loads on calories, maiking obesity more likely, some charge. But the Harvard researchers point out that the body needs some fat for energy and say that regular exercise makes more sense than worrying about an extra splash or two of olive oil.

By far the most controversial aspect of the Mediterranean diet is its recommendation that adults drink a glass or two of wine daily. The dispute pits researchers who have found that having a drink or two a day raises “good cholesterol” and significantly lowers the risk of heart attacks against public health officials who are worried about encouraging alcohol abuse.

As these officials point out, heavy drinkers substantially raise their risks of cirrhosis of the liver, and of mouth, throat, stomach, and colorectal cancer, and heart failure, not to mention the mental impairment of alcoholism. These experts worry that once started on a drinking habit, some drinkers will find a difficult to remain tin the “moderate” range, especially those with heavy drinkers in their family histories.

That is a risk, no doubt. But even if you skip that part of the Mediterranean diet menu, there’s a lot to be savored in the nutritional choices of the ancient chefs or the Greek Isles and Southern Italy.

The Mediterranean Diet

Follow the diet outlined below, get regular exercise, and drink a glass or tow of red wine a day, researchers say, and you will cut substantially your risk of heart disease and cancer.

A few times per month: Red meat

A few times per week: Sweets, eggs, poultry, Fish.

Daily: Cheese, yogurt, olive oil, vegetables (fruits, beans, other legumes, and nuts). Breads, pasta, rice, couscous, polenta. Bulgur potatoes, and other grains.

The Vegetarian Lifestyle

A Vegetarian Times magazine poll shows that 12.4 million Americans now consider themselves vegetarians. But what “vegetarian” actually means can differ significantly from person to person. Among the survey’s findings:

Nearly half of vegetarians say it’s for health reasons. Only 15 percent were motivated by concern for animals.

One-fifth of those who call themselves vegetarians say they consume red meat at least once a month, one-third eat poultry at least once a week, and one-third eat fish weekly.

Most vegetarians are lacto-vegetarian, meaning they eat dairy products and eggs, but about 30 percent shun eggs, about 10 percent reject milk, and about 4 percent turn their backs on all animal products, including milk, cheese, and eggs.

Vegetarians are more apt to be women than men, and more likely than the general public to have children under the age of 18.

A girl looks good after the Mediterranean Diet. Illustration by Elena.