Weight loss has become a serious challenge these days. It may seem that weight loss is a very hectic and difficult task to achieve but in actuality; it is not. With strong willpower, consistency, and the right dietary approaches it is very easy for oneself to accomplish the target of weight reduction. One of the most appropriate solutions for weight loss is by following the Mediterranean diet for weight loss.
In the past few decades, the prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically all over the world. There can be many risk factors for this sudden increase in obesity rates such as consumption of hyper-processed foods, sedentary lifestyle, energy imbalance, genetics, and diseased conditions. According to the world obesity organization “It is estimated that by 2025 roundabout 2.7 billion people will be obese”.
Mediteranean Diet
The Mediteranean diet was originated back in 1960s on the grounds of the Mediterranean Sea and that’s why named after this place. The Mediterranean diet is a combination of different diet pattern that had been used for a very long time by the people situated around the shores of Mediterranean sea. Consumption of food groups included in the Mediterranean diet pattern has been scientifically proven to assist in weight loss. They also have a beneficial role in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), certain types of cancers, mental health, diabetes, bone health, and increasing life expectancy.
Components of the Mediterranean Diet
Consume food groups such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and pulses in relatively large amounts.
Dairy products such as cheese yogurt and eggs should be consumed in moderate amounts.
Consume fish in moderation.
Reduce meat and its products in relatively fewer amounts.
Avoid intake of red wine or use it sparingly.
In addition, the Mediterranean diet pattern emphasizes regular physical activity and maintaining your hydration status.
Potential Health Advantages of the Mediterranean Diet
Following are the health-related advantages of following a Mediterranean diet pattern.
Helps in Weight Loss
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes the consumption of more vegetables and fruits. Vegetables are nutrient-dense, very low in energy, rich source of phytochemicals and provide the feeling of fullness.
They also contain dietary fiber that normalizes bowel movements and decreases gastric emptying time and provides satiety while giving a negligible amount of energy to the body. Besides weight loss, these dietary fibers are also beneficial for gut health and lowering cholesterol. The dietary fiber also helps in preventing constipation. Weight loss is all about having more energy expenditure and low energy intake. This is only possible when you eat foods which provide more satiety and feeling of fullness and low amount of energy without compromising on the essential nutrients required by the body.
These foods have a very low glycemic index and hence provide less amount of energy than other processed foods. The Mediterranean diet limits the intake of ultra-processed products and simple sugars which provide the bulk amount of energy.
The Mediterranean diet was found to be as successful for weight loss just like other low carbohydrate diets in a review of five trials, resulting in weight loss of up to 22 pounds (10 kg) over a year.
Similarly, large research of more than 32,000 adults found that consumption of the MD pattern was affiliated with weight reduction and preventing weight gain again in the next 5 years.
Prevents CVDs and Improves Heart Health
The Mediterranean diet mainly aims at increasing the consumption of extra virgin olive oil as a fat source. Olive oil contains many crucial fatty acids like omegas-3, omegas-6, and other healthy fatty acids. These are very crucial for the human body and can’t be synthesized within the body and must be taken with foods.
These fatty acids help lower the level of LDL cholesterol by excreting it out of the body and increasing the level of HDL. This helps in preventing plaque accumulation in arteries of the heart and hence preventing the risk of atherosclerosis.
In research, low-fat diets and Mediterranean diets were compared and it was found that the Mediterranean diet more efficiently reduced the plaque formation in the arteries of the heart.
In another study, it was proved that consumption of a Mediterranean diet helps in maintaining both systolic and diastolic pressure which ultimately reduced the risks of CVDs.
Prevention and Management of Diabetes
The Mediterranean diet includes a wide variety of nutrient-rich food groups, such as fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, whole cereals, and heart-healthy fats. Because these foods have a low glycemic index so following this dietary pattern can significantly help in maintaining normal blood glucose levels and decreasing the incidence of developing type 2 diabetes.
It has been proven that the Mediterranean significantly helps in improving insulin resistance in the body, a condition in which the body is unable to efficiently utilize insulin to sustain the blood glucose level.
Sustains Brain Functions
The human brain is made up of almost 60% of fats. It is very important to remember that omegas-3 and omegas-6 fatty acids are very essential for improving the brain’s health and reducing cognitive loss as age increases. These polyunsaturated fats have also been shown to reduce the risk of stress and depression. The body is unable to produce them on its own so they must be taken with a meal. Rich sources of these fats include avocados, salmon, tuna, nuts, and olive oil.
Other research has proved that consumption of a Mediterranean diet is linked with the reduced risks of dementia, memory loss, and improved cognitive functioning.
Prevention of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Weight loss and fat reduction is the first goal in the treatment of NAFLD. Several studies have indicated that following the Mediterranean diet can significantly reduce the risks of NAFLD and decrease hepatic fat accumulation and stiffness of the liver which is measured by the liver elastography.
A group of people performed a multi-center study known as MADINA to compare the effect of the Mediteranean diet with a simple low-lipid diet and concluded that the group who was receiving the Mediterranean diet significantly reduced the symptoms of NALFD, insulin sensitivity, hepatic steatosis, and metabolic outcomes.
How to Follow MD Diet Pattern
High consumption of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), whole grains, tuna, salmon, etc.
Moderate consumption of poultry, cheese, eggs, and yogurt.
Avoid consumption of red wine and trans fatty acids.
Foods to Consume
What to eat while following a Mediterranean diet is a controversial debate because every country has a different set of foods available to them and it leaves a question on what to eat and what to not from a specific food group.
Here is a list of foods from different food groups you can eat according to Mediterranean diet pattern:
Vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, spinach, cabbage, turnips, radish, kale, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, cauliflower, peas, Brussels etc.
Fruits such as apple, banana, oranges, mango, apricots, peach, strawberry, raspberry, figs, watermelon, melon, dates, pear etc.
Whole grains such as wheat, barley, maize, oats, corn, buckwheat, rye, brown rice and pasta etc.
Legumes such as chickpeas, beans, lentils, peas, black lentils, grams etc.
Nuts such as peanuts, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, almond butter, peanut butter.
Seafood such as crabs, trout, tuna, shrimps, salmon, sardines, oysters, clams, mackerel etc.
Polyunsaturated and healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil, avocados, fish oil, sunflower oil, safflower, soya bean oil, corn oil etc.
Dairy such as milk, low-fat yoghurt, and cheese etc.
Poultry such as chicken, turkey, duck etc.
Eggs such as quail, duck, and chicken eggs etc.
Bottom Line
Mediterranean diet is a complete set of balanced diet which can be consumed in almost every disease and can cause preventive effect in variety of diseases. It contains such foods that are rich in dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals such as zinc, iron, folate and phytochemicals that have several health benefits such as decreased body stress, increased resistance to stress, increased genomic stability, decreased oxidative stress, and increased immune functions. They also contain several antioxidants that helps in fighting off against free radicals which reduce the risk of most of the cancers and also help in lowering inflammation.
