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Eating a Mediterranean diet could prevent illness.

THERE’S mounting evidence to suggest that a diet full of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, beans, wholegrains, nuts and olive oil — all key characteristics of Mediterranean cuisine — could make a significant difference in reducing the risk of illnesses like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia.

So rather than waiting until health problems arise and then seeking medicines, Irish people need to be encouraged to prevent illness more, with eating well being a key component.

With Alzheimer’s cases expected to rise threefold over the next 30 years, and diet and lifestyle dramatically reducing the risk of developing dementia, there’s strong evidence to switch to a Mediterranean diet.

The diet contains relatively small quantities of undesirable saturated fats, but high amounts of antioxidant-packed fruits, vegetables, olive oil and fish oils.

The prevalence of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer and diabetes has historically been significantly lower in Mediterranean countries, like Greece and southern Italy, than in Ireland, other northern European countries and the US. This general trend has been confirmed in numerous studies, linking it with the diet of the region. So why aren’t we all eating Mediterranean?

Experts believe it has a lot to do with lifestyle. Cooking Mediterranean-style takes time and involves using natural and unprocessed ingredients. Also, the price of olive oil, which is rich in antioxidants, can also put people off. But it’s a smart investment. Research suggests that 20ml of olive oil a day could reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 40%.

Dietitian Sioned Quirke says the Mediterranean diet includes most of the principles of healthy eating.

“It’s definitely worth encouraging people to make at least one simple change towards Mediterranean eating,” says Quirke.

She advises people to “eat the rainbow” — in other words, to eat as many different coloured fruit and vegetables as possible, as each colour has different vitamin and mineral contents. She says while olive oil is an important part of Mediterranean eating, it’s still better not to fry food in it, but use it in marinades, sauces or salad dressings instead.

Though there’s no need to cut out meat, some of it could be replaced with beans or lentils, she suggests, as they’re a good source of protein but don’t contain saturated fat — plus, they’re much cheaper than meat.

“Nobody’s perfect, but if you make at least one practical Mediterranean-type change to your diet, it will benefit your health,” she promises.