Chapter 2 - A Brief History of the Mediterranean Diet

The origins of the Mediterranean diet date back to the Middle Ages in which the upper-class ancient Romans (modeling Greek tradition) would regularly consume wine, bread, olive oil, vegetables, fruit and cheese and an abundance of fish, various seafood and little red meat.  

The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet were discovered by American scientist Ancel Benjamin Keys who avidly studied the influence of diet on health. His studies on the Mediterranean diet were the first to reveal a correlation between cardiovascular disease and diet.

During the 1950’s Ancel Keys was shocked that people in the poorest small towns in Southern Italy were much healthier than the wealthy people in New York. Keys felt that this was a result of their diet. He went on to investigate and attempt to validate his belief by focusing his studies on the foods that were being consumed in these populations.

The Seven Countries Study

In 1958, he and Paul Dudley White the world’s leading cardiologist at the time started the Seven Countries Study.

This was a long running study (over 50 years) that documented the relationship between diet, lifestyle, stroke and cardiovascular disease in seven different countries of the world. It included cross-sectional studies that aimed to prove that the nutritional value of the Mediterranean diet contributed to a healthier body and longevity for the populations that adopted the Mediterranean way of eating .

Keys and White, along with the support of researchers in each of the seven countries involved in the study, compiled data of over twelve thousand middle-aged men from the United States, Italy, Japan, Greece, Finland, the Netherlands and Yugoslavia.

The findings of this study proved that populations that adopted a Mediterranean diet had low levels of cholesterol in their blood and a low percentage of cardiovascular disease.

The healthiest ranking area of the study was Crete. Cretan men had the most positive cardiovascular test results as a result of their diet and exercise patterns.

Scientific proof of the benefits of the Mediterranean diet

Keys studies started a flood of scientific research that looked at the correlation between chronic diseases and dietary habits. Many clinical trials and studies have proven that the Mediterranean way of eating reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

Studies have also proven that adhering to a Mediterranean diet increases high density lipoprotein (HDL), decreases blood pressure, triglycerides, blood glucose levels and abdominal circumference.

Researchers continue to run new tests on the Mediterranean diet even today as they define the diets effects on the human body in further detail. New studies regularly appear in leading scientific journals supporting the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

The variety of test and clinical studies that have been and continue to be performed include tests on lengthened life span, improved brain function, preventing chronic diseases, fighting certain cancers, lowering heart disease, lowering blood pressure, reducing high cholesterol levels, preventing diabetes, promoting weight loss, alleviating depression, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, rheumatoid arthritis and promoting eye health, better breathing, healthier babies and improved fertility.

Every one of the listed items above has a clinical report written about the Mediterranean diet and its positive effects on each health challenge. No other diet has as much documented proof of its effectiveness as the Mediterranean diet.