Nutrition news: Widely studied Mediterranean diet linked to good health

Two Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) professors — Dimitrios Trichopoulos, Vincent L. Gregory Professor of Cancer Prevention, and Walter Willett, chair, Department of Nutrition and Fredrick John Stare Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition — discuss what research has shown about the Mediterranean diet in a November 21, 2011, Los Angeles Times article.

Trichopoulos describes the Mediterranean diet as “possibly the best ever.” Hundreds of scientific studies have linked the diet, which emphasizes fish, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and less red meat and dairy, to reduced heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and other conditions. He also attributes the general overall health of Mediterranean people to the diet. But questions remain about which parts of the diet are most important and in what quantities should food be consumed.

“No one part is most important,” Willett tells the Times. “They’re all important. It’s the combination of all the parts that matters.”

Read the Los Angeles Times article

Learn more

Following Mediterranean Diet May Lower Breast Cancer Risk for Some Women (HSPH News)

Close Adherence to a Traditional Mediterranean Diet Promotes Longevity (HSPH press release)

The Nutrition Source