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Are you studying the principles behind a better diet? Mediterranean food diets are increasing in popularity because they are not based on popular fashions, but rather a model that comes from literally thousands of years of use. The Mediterranean diet is inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of the Mediterranean area, especially Italy, Greece and Spain. Understanding how the Mediterranean Diet differs from the typical American diet can help us improve our eating habits and enjoy better health through changes in diet enjoyable.

The most striking feature of the Mediterranean Diet is high consumption of fruits and vegetables, bread and other cereals, olive oil and fish. Red meat is a frequent source of protein in the diet. Compared with the typical American diet, this may seem almost exotic. Meals form after the Mediterranean diet have a rich distinctive taste because of the use of olive oil as a source of fat in preparation for margarine and highly processed, hydrogenated vegetable oils used in preparing the meals of America. As the fat has a higher caloric density that proteins and carbohydrates, portion sizes also appear more modest when compared with the size of a meal often Americans expect of a restaurant. The result is a diet rich in nutrients, high in fiber, with a low glycemic index, which includes lean sources of protein and high-quality sources of fat.

While the Mediterranean Diet has been developed over time from now in the Iliad when I was a new story, which was “discovered” by an American doctor, Ancel Keys in 1945. Compared with modern American common dietary practices, the Mediterranean diet seems to be paradoxical. People living in Mediterranean countries tend to consume relatively high amounts of fat, yet have much lower rates of cardiovascular disease than in countries like the United States.

If one compares the sources of fat between the Mediterranean diet and the typical American diet we can see that the sources of fat in the diet are of much higher quality and sources of fat such as extra virgin olive oil also excellent sources of antioxidants that have been shown to protect the body from the conditions that lead to cardiovascular disease. Olive oil has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol, while the animal fats consumed by the typical American tends to raise cholesterol levels.

Red wine consumption is also a positive factor in many Mediterranean diets. Rich in flavonoids, these powerful antioxidants come from the skins, stems and seeds of grapes that are making a red wine during fermentation. The white wines are fermented without these components, and therefore have lower levels of antioxidants. Regular, moderate consumption of red wine has shown a significant benefit to cardiovascular health due to the regular intake of these antioxidants.

Genetics, lifestyle and environment may also participate in the health benefits of people who enjoy these Mediterranean cultures, but when compared to a typical American diet, the Mediterranean Diet offers a higher quality of food source that should bring a benefit in a variety of health factors for nearly anyone who includes as its food source.