Thursday, March 5, 2009

Is The Mediterranean Diet Healthy

By Cathy Maree

The Mediterranean diet is a diet designed on eating the foods people who live in the Mediterranean basin eat. The Mediterranean basin is an area that surrounds the Mediterranean Sea and has mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. This area includes areas of France, the Iberian Peninsula, the Italian peninsula, and the Balkan Peninsula. It also includes areas of the Sahara desert, and Africa.

Most people who mention the Mediterranean diet are really talking about a diet created by Walter Willett. The diet includes wine, red meat, olive oil, eggs, fish, poultry and a healthy amount of physical activity.

The fat in this diet is controlled, only up to 35% of calories, saturated fat at less than 8% of total calories. For this reason it's categorized as a low fat, high fiber diet. It became popular in the 1990's, but the Mediterranean diet has been around since 1945.

Whereas American diets rely on animal fats, the Mediterranean diet utilizes olive oil. Olive oil has many many health properties such as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. Studies show that olive oil helps prevent ulcers and is an effective treatment for certain types of ulcers, as well as important for preventing cancer. Red wine also adds to the mix in that it contains elements with antioxidant properties.

The Mediterranean diet is really a series of diets partially recommended by the American Heart Association. The association is apprehensive about the high amount of fat in the Mediterranean diet. They say obesity is a growing health concern in the Mediterranean basin.

The AHA does take comfort in the fact that mono saturated fats such as those found in olive oil don't raise cholesterol levels. Researchers aren't sure whether better health in the Mediterranean basin is due to diet or the fact they get a lot of exercise, mostly from walking.

A Google search is a great source of information on the Mediterranean diet.

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