For the third consecutive year, the Mediterranean diet was chosen as 2020’s best diet overall by US News & World Report. It also took top spots in the agency’s “Best Diets for Healthy Eating”, “Easiest Diets to Follow”, “Best Diets for Diabetes”, and “Best Plant-Based Diet” reports.
According to the agency, the Mediterranean Diet is a "a diet low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat, and high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods. It is not a structured diet but an eating pattern. US News and World Report explains, that eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil, herbs and spices; fish and seafood a couple of times in a week; and poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt in moderation will help stay healthy. Apart from being physically fit, saving sweets and red meat for special occasions will do the work."
The Mediterranean diet is based on traditional foods that people used to eat in Italy and Greece back in the sixties.
There have been numerous studies, which have proved the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet. As per a study published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, a Mediterranean dietary pattern is associated with lower risks of CVD incidence and mortality, including CHD and MI.
Furthermore, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine and also known as the PREDIMED study followed 7,000 women and men in Spain who had type 2 diabetes or a high risk for cardiovascular disease. The study authors found that those who consumed a calorie-unrestricted Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts had a 30 percent lower risk of heart events.
A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine also pointed out that among people at high cardiovascular risk, the incidence of major cardiovascular events was lower among those given a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts.
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