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The Mediterranean diet was first introduced publicly in 1945 by Doctor Ancel Keys; however, the diet did not begin to catch on in other parts of the world outside of the region until the 1990s. Dr. Keys recognized, while stationed in Italy, that people who follow a diet consistent with this region of the globe have longer life expectancies, fewer deaths from heart disease and stroke, and many other health benefits, including a higher reported quality of life and less stress.
Although Mediterranean cuisine has evolved over the last few centuries as New World foods were introduced in Spain, Greece, France, Italy, and Turkey in the 16th century, the consumption of saturated fats has been the key factor in bettering the health of people in the region. The reduction of saturated fat has directly lead to the lower risk of heart disease and heart attack that people in the Mediterranean have.
Studies of plant-based diets such as the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study on the Mediterranean diet have concluded that people who follow a largely plant-based diet have beneficial health effects and decreased mortality rates. The Mediterranean diet, although plant-based, is not vegetarian. Fish and chicken are used in many recipes. This diet also has a high salt content as some of the staple food items —olives, salt-cured cheeses, anchovies, and capers—are all high in salt.
