The Mediterranean diet is less a diet than a way of eating, built on vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts, olive oil and fish, with less red meat and few sweets. It is one of the most studied eating patterns in the world, and it fits the Lowcountry well.
What the research shows
In the PREDIMED trial, 7,447 adults aged 55 to 80 at high cardiovascular risk followed either a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts, or a lower-fat control diet. Over about five years, the Mediterranean groups had roughly 30 percent fewer major cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, than the control group.
The building blocks
- Vegetables and fruit at most meals
- Beans, lentils and chickpeas several times a week
- Whole grains such as oats, brown rice and whole wheat
- Extra-virgin olive oil as the main cooking fat
- A handful of nuts most days
- Fish and seafood at least twice a week
- Poultry, eggs, yogurt and cheese in moderate amounts
- Red and processed meat and sweets only occasionally
A Lowcountry version
Grilled shrimp or fish over greens with olive oil and lemon, field peas and okra with tomatoes, collards cooked in olive oil and garlic instead of fatback, and fresh peaches or watermelon for dessert all fit the pattern.
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Mediterranean or DASH?
The DASH eating plan, designed to lower blood pressure, overlaps heavily with the Mediterranean diet and puts extra emphasis on low-fat dairy and less sodium. In the DASH-Sodium trial, the DASH diet lowered systolic blood pressure more as sodium came down. Both are good choices, and your provider can help you pick based on your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
Nutrition support at Hope Integrative Medicine
If you want to try the Mediterranean pattern, we can tailor it to your heart health and your tastes. Our lifestyle medicine and primary care teams build nutrition plans around your health conditions, your schedule and the food you like, in person in West Ashley or by telehealth across South Carolina. New patients are often able to be scheduled within a week of requesting an appointment. Request an appointment.
Sources: Estruch et al., Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet, New England Journal of Medicine, 2018; NHLBI, DASH Eating Plan; NHLBI, DASH-Sodium trial.
This article is general health information and does not replace advice from your own provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. In the PREDIMED trial, adults at high cardiovascular risk who followed a Mediterranean diet with extra olive oil or nuts had roughly 30 percent fewer major cardiovascular events than a lower-fat control group.
Vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts, extra-virgin olive oil and fish form the base, with moderate poultry, eggs and dairy, and red meat and sweets only occasionally.
They overlap a great deal. DASH was designed to lower blood pressure and puts more emphasis on low-fat dairy and lower sodium; the Mediterranean diet emphasizes olive oil, nuts and fish.