The Mediterranean diet: a healthy lifestyle with many benefits that you can adopt this year

For the fourth year in a row, the Mediterranean diet has been crowned the best among diets. For years, several studies have pointed out the multiple benefits of this form of diet that reduces or eliminates processed foods and favors meals full of fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Among the effects that have been attributed to it are better heart health, better mental health, more longevity, among others.

This is what you should know about the diet and how you can follow it.

Delays cognitive decline

Are you concerned about your mental functions during times of most stress? Well, you can cut your risk of cognitive decline in half by wisely following the Mediterranean diet, known for its emphasis on vegetables, whole grains, fish, and olive oil. This is revealed by two new studies.

“People with greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet had a reduction of almost 45% to 50% in the risk of suffering impaired cognitive functions,” said Dr. Emily Chew, lead author of the research and who heads the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications (DECA) at the National Eye Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

Could prevent depression
An investigation looked at 41 studies on this topic and found a link between people’s diet and their chances of developing depression.

People who followed a strict Mediterranean diet had a 33% lower risk of being diagnosed with depression compared to people who were less likely to follow those eating habits.

“There is compelling evidence to show that there is a relationship between the quality of your diet and your mental health,” said Camille Lassale, research associate in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London. “This relationship goes beyond the effect of diet on your body size or other health aspects that may affect your mood.”

People whose diets were high in inflammatory substances, such as processed meats, trans fat, and alcohol, were more likely to have depressive outcomes.

Gold Medal for the Best Diet

The 2021 best diet gold medal went to the Mediterranean diet for the fourth year in a row, according to rankings announced Monday by U.S. News & World Report.

Tied for the silver were the DASH diet, which stands for dietary approaches to stopping hypertension, and the flexitarian diet, which encourages being a vegetarian most of the time, but is flexible enough to allow for an occasional burger.

These high accolades are not surprising, as numerous studies have found that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression, and breast cancer. Food from the sunny Mediterranean region has also been linked to stronger bones, a healthier heart, and a longer life.

Benefits for Heart Patients
A study by the European Society of Cardiology showed that people who have a history of cardiovascular disease and adhere to this diet had 37% less mortality compared to those who did not follow it.

The diet worked even better than several of the drugs prescribed for people with heart problems: statins. On average, statins reduce the risk of heart problems by 24%, according to previous studies. This means that the diet is emerging as a winner for heart health.