The summer may feel long gone but as you head into the autumn, you can still dream of cosy meals with friends and family. Enjoying delicious and nutritious food together the Mediterranean way is great for your health and happiness!
Cuisines from countries such as Greece, Italy, Spain and Southern France come under the umbrella of the ‘Mediterranean diet’ which is the most researched of all diets and is considered to be one of the most beneficial for overall health. 1https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25411285/
The Mediterranean diet and lifestyle
- High intake of plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, cereals, whole grains, pulses and legumes 2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6466433/
- Moderate consumption of fish and poultry 3https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10756697/
- Low intake of sugars, red meat and processed foods 4https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33375042/
- Olive oil as one the main sources of dietary fat 5https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31817038/
- Low to moderate intake of alcohol (mostly red wine) 6https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24263037/
- Regular physical activity 7https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34423757/
- Sharing mealtimes with friends and family 8https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6466433/ 9https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33802507/
It’s not only the food but also the sharing of cooking activities and mealtimes with family and friends which further enhances the enormous health benefits of this diet. 10https://openpublichealthjournal.com/VOLUME/8/PAGE/35/ABSTRACT/ In fact, UNESCO has recognised the Mediterranean diet as a cultural heritage of humanity due to the consumption of local produce, sustainable farming methods as well as culinary practices and social traditions. 11https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/mediterranean-diet-00884
Positive influences on your gut microbiome
The beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet on your gut microbes are largely down to the higher intake of polyphenols, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and the diversity of fibre.12https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32114641/
- Increase in commensal bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium and Roseburia 13https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7359750/
- Reduction in potentially harmful bacteria 14https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33375042/
- Higher microbiome diversity 15https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33375042/
- Production of anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate 16https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7359750/
- Less gut dysbiosis and intestinal permeability 17https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33375042/
Numerous benefits to overall health:
- Reduces blood lipids including less LDL cholesterol 18https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joim.13333
- Protects against oxidative stress and inflammation 19https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29767701/
- Helps to lower the risk of blood clots 20https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24829485/
- Modifies the gut microbiome to produce beneficial substances 21https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29244059/
These physiological effects help to prevent a number of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, breast cancer and obesity. 22https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6627690/, 23https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6471908/, 24https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6466433/, 25https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33375042/ In fact, scientists would go as far as to say the Mediterranean diet “is associated with a reduction of all-cause mortality” 26https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33375042/
If you’d like to find out more about your own gut health, consider a Microbiome Test which examines how well your gut microbiome is functioning by examining five key areas: bacterial diversity, probiotics, pathogens, fibre synthesis and butyrate production. The test includes a 30-minute private consultation with one of our nutritional therapists who will go through your results with you and answer any of your gut-related questions.
The basic principles of the Mediterranean diet are incorporated into our own Gut Health Diet, but with the valuable addition of probiotics and prebiotics.
Get inspired with some of our delicious gut healthy recipes, here: https://www.chucklinggoat.co.uk/blog/categories/?_categories=recipes
References
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
