The Mediterranean or Cretan diet is Granaline's favourite!
What's in it for us? Because you can eat as much or as little of everything as you like, and really enjoy yourself at the same time. Not only does this diet maintain good cardiovascular health, it has also been proven and recognised (1).
Did you know that on 16 November 2010 this diet was included on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a set of skills, knowledge, practices and traditions? (2)
Why follow the Mediterranean diet?
Zero restrictions, Zero guilt:
The Mediterranean diet is a set of healthy eating habits from around the Mediterranean - from Spain to Morocco, Italy, Greece and many other countries - with a whole host of recipes that are as colourful as they are healthy. In fact, the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is considered to be one of the healthiest diets in the world, as it is the most widely described and evaluated in scientific literature. It is characterised by a high consumption of vegetables, legumes, fruit, nuts, cereals, fish, seafood, extra virgin olive oil and moderate consumption of red wine (3). Scientific evidence suggests that people who follow the Mediterranean diet have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease or cancer than those who do not (4).
Following the Mediterranean diet has several advantages:
It contains antioxidants (including polyphenols), vitamins, fibre and carbohydrates (fruit and vegetables, pomegranate juice, etc.).
Low in saturated fatty acids (butter, red meat, etc.)
It contains monounsaturated fatty acids (extra virgin olive oil) and omega-3 (oily fish)
This has numerous beneficial effects, mainly in terms of cardiovascular and metabolic health and mental well-being.
What's more, the Mediterranean diet :
Is satiating
The Mediterranean diet offers a good variety of nutritious, unprocessed foods that make it relatively easy to achieve satiety, preventing snacking between meals. Our Granaline ORGANIC pure pomegranate juice has this satiating effect. What's more, Granaline pure ORGANIC pomegranate juice is a good alternative to red wine in this type of diet for its antioxidant and polyphenol content.
Prevents cardiovascular disease
Numerous studies show that the Mediterranean diet is genuinely effective in preventing cardiovascular disease. (1)
Reduces the risk of cancer
The Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, but also of cancer. (1) In fact, studies have shown that people who adopt the Mediterranean diet are much less exposed to certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer (3).
Increases life expectancy
The Mediterranean diet is also said to increase life expectancy and general health. (5)
Reduces the risk of contracting degenerative diseases
It also reduces the risk of developing degenerative diseases (such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's) and reduces their progression. (6)
It is not binding
The Mediterranean diet has the advantage of not banning any foods.
It is inexpensive
Last but not least, the foods eaten in large quantities on the Mediterranean diet are mainly inexpensive and easy to find. So the diet is good for the wallet.
Foods to avoid
According to Dr Guy Avril, in his guide Je mange méditerranéen au quotidien, the foods to avoid when following a Mediterranean diet are :
Prepared dishes and ultra-processed foods: those with a long list of ingredients, ingredients you never have in your cupboard or additives, especially if they contain few vegetables and lots of starchy foods.
Industrial breakfast cereals: even those that claim to be good for your health or low-calorie cereals.
Refined cereal-based foods: bread, pasta, biscuits, etc.
Industrial potato-based foods: mashed potato flakes, crisps, etc.
Are you following the Mediterranean diet too? Tell us all about it! And don't hesitate to include Granaline pure ORGANIC pomegranate juice in your diet. It contains polyphenols and antioxidants, such as vitamin C, which help to reduce fatigue and oxidative stress (a), the cause of cell oxidation.
Scientific references :
(1) Keys, A. (1980). Seven countries: a multivariate analysis of death and coronary heart disease. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
(2) UNESCO. La diète méditerranéenne, Patrimoine culturel immatériel de l’humanité.
(3) Willett, WC., et al. (1995). Mediterranean diet pyramid: a cultural model for healthy eating. Am J Clin Nutr.
(4) Bach, A., et al. (2006). The use of indexes evaluating the adherence to the Mediterranean diet in epidemiological studies: a review. Public Health Nutr.
(5) Trichopoulou, A., Bamia, C. (2009). Anatomy of health effects of Mediterranean diet: Greek EPIC prospective cohort study. BMJ.
(6) Sofi, F., Cesari, F., Abbate, R., Gensini, G-F., Casini, A. (2008). Adherence to Mediterranean diet and health status: meta-analysis. BMJ.
EFSA entry number :
(a) : vitamine C ; fatigue : 139, 2622 / Vitamine C ; stress oxydant : 129, 138, 143, 148, 3331