Mediterranean diet

American  

[med-i-tuh-rey-nee-uhn dahy-it] / ˌmɛd ɪ təˈreɪ ni ən ˈdaɪ ɪt /

noun

• Mediterranean diets
  plural

1. a diet traditionally followed in Greece, Spain, southern Italy and France, and parts of the Middle East, with emphasis on fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seafood, and olive oil.

   A study showed that people who ate a Mediterranean diet had a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease than people following a low-fat diet.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Mediterranean diets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Mediterranean diet

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Mediterranean diet

For decades, research has extolled the benefits of a Mediterranean diet low in sugar, rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and doused in olive oil.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

Across Italy, a generation of children is growing up increasingly removed from the Mediterranean diet that once made the country famous.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

It is a striking development in a country long regarded as the spiritual home of the Mediterranean diet.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

"These findings suggest that specific components of the Mediterranean diet may directly influence mitochondrial biology," said USC Leonard Davis School Dean and USC Distinguished Professor Pinchas Cohen, the study's senior author.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

The findings suggest that individual parts of the Mediterranean diet may contribute differently to mitochondrial health.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026