This diet features food from plant sources, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, bread and potatoes, and olive oil. It also limits processed foods consumption and recommends eating locally grown foods rich in micronutrients and antioxidants. Other aspects of this eating plan include consuming fish and poultry at least twice per week, eating red meat only a few times per month, having up to seven eggs per week, and drinking red wine in moderation. Unlike most diets, the Mediterranean diet does not cut fat consumption across the board. Instead, it incorporates low-fat cheese and dairy products, and it substitutes olive oil, canola oil, and other healthy oils for butter and margarine.

More than fifty years of nutritional and epidemiological research has shown that people who follow the Mediterranean diet have some of the lowest rates of chronic disease and the highest longevity rates among the world’s populations. Studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet also significantly decreases excess body weight, blood pressure, blood fats, blood sugar, and insulin levels.