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.

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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

"The traditional Mediterranean diet has been lost," says Doctor Valter Longo, director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

The study, "Mediterranean diet adherence is associated with mitochondrial microproteins Humanin and SHMOOSE; potential role of the Humanin-Nox2 interaction in cardioprotection," was published March 9, 2026, in Frontiers in Nutrition.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

The researchers propose that the Mediterranean diet may protect the cardiovascular system in two complementary ways.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026