It's not terribly sexy.

As diets go, it floats under the radar. It's not promoted heavily by any celebrities and if it were, it wouldn't get much press anyway. It's been permutated, repackaged and resold by diet book authors, and it quietly goes about its business preventing disease, prolonging life, cutting heart disease risk, dodging type II diabetes, curbing Alzheimer's and fighting allergies among other health-boosting attributes.

The latest on the Mediterranean diet is its impact on cancer, with a recent study showing a 12% reduced risk by implementing just a couple of Mediterranean-inspired easy-to-make changes.

Adding olive oil to the diet cut the risk by 9% and eating less red meat while adding beans, peas and lentils cut the risk by 12%

The study featured 26,000 Greek men and is published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Dr Dimitrios Trichopoulos, who led the study, said "Adjusting one's overall dietary habits towards the traditional Mediterranean pattern had an important effect."

It is very difficult to pinpoint what is responsible for the health effects of any particular diet - there are just too many variables. It's probably safe to assume that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts when it comes to the traditional Mediterranean diet.

Some Bits on the Mediterranean Diet

• The traditional Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, and olive oil and encourages moderate consumption of wine.


• The diet promotes moderate amounts of poultry and fish and advises eating red meat and sweets sparingly.


• The diet varies in its fat content, from under 25% to over 35% of total calories


• Emphasis on minimally processed foods and seasonal produce


• The traditional Mediterranean diet truly is a way of life in those who value the tradition. People who eat this way generally take the time to prepare and enjoy the food and see food as celebration. This mindset is absolutely crucial to any dietary regime but seems to be prominent in the Mediterranean countries.


• Mediterranean regions are experiencing more obesity as they gravitate towards convenience-based westernized lifestyles.

A Bid to Save the Mediterranean Diet

The Italian Parliament has appealed to Unesco (the UN's educational and cultural arm) to save the Mediterranean diet by recognizing it as part of the world's heritage. The initiative is also backed by Spain, Greece and Morocco. All four countries agree that the diet is being threatened by the spread of fast food and convenience foods.

Hopefully this movement gains some publicity and helps make people of those countries (and the rest of the world) aware of the importance of preserving traditions that promote healthy living.