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BOSTON, November 24, 2008 — As obesity and chronic disease soar around the world, an international group of scientific experts has updated the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid to emphasize the central role of foods from plant sources as the core of healthy eating. The scientists met at Oldways’ 15th Anniversary Mediterranean Diet Conference, held in mid-November in Cambridge, MA.
“It’s been 15 years since Oldways introduced the Mediterranean-style diet and Mediterranean Diet Pyramid here in the United States,” said Oldways Founder and President, K. Dun Gifford. He added that “While the pyramid’s core philosophy hasn’t changed, we’ve streamlined the graphics to present a contemporary approach to delicious healthy eating based on the overwhelming research about the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet.”
What’s New. The updated pyramid graphic is optimized for simplicity and at-aglance education. It emphasizes basing every meal on plant foods — fruits, vegetables, grains (mostly whole), beans, seeds, nuts, herbs and spices, and olive oil — for maximum healthfulness. While these foods have always been the core of the pyramid, they are now combined in one pyramid section, to emphasize that all are equally important, and that their benefits stem from being eaten together. Two changes in the pyramid base are worth noting. The addition of “mostly whole” to the longstanding recommendation of grains is a nod to the growing body of knowledge that whole grains deliver health benefits lacking in refined grains. Herbs and spices have also been added to the base to reflect new research on their health benefits as well as their dominant role in Mediterranean flavor profile. The new pyramid also recommends eating fish at least twice per week, along with small portions of cheese, yogurt, eggs and poultry (if desired). A section at the base of the pyramid stresses the importance of physical activity and, true to the Mediterranean way, enjoying meals in the company of family and friends. Moderate wine consumption continues to be a part of the Mediterranean Diet pattern. New to the pyramid, however, is the recommendation to drink water regularly, in place of less healthy beverages.
“With obesity and diet-related chronic diseases at an all-time high, we felt it was important to review the hundreds of new scientific studies that join the archive of high-level research on the healthfulness of eating a Mediterranean-style diet, and update the pyramid,” said Frank Sacks, MD, Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Dept. of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School and co-chair of the scientific committee. “These studies suggest that healthy diet and lifestyle practices, like those associated with the Mediterranean Diet, can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more.”
The Mediterranean Diet is notable for its “whole diet” approach. Instead of isolating various foods which are “good” or “bad,” the Med Way is about a lifestyle that includes eating from a well-rounded menu of largely plant life, regular exercise and enjoying the company of friends and family. “Reductionist fad diets more often than not mislead consumers into adopting poor eating habits,” said Gifford. He added that “There are really good reasons that these are called ‘fad diets’.”
The Mediterranean Diet Scientific Committee included more than 20 health experts from around the world such as Mr. Gifford; Dr. Sacks; Antonia Trichopoulou, MD, PhD, (University of Athens, Greece); Ligia Dominquez, MD, (University of Palermo, Italy); Miguel Martinez-Gonzales, MD, PhD, MPH, (University of Navarra, Spain); Alan Greene, MD, FAAP (Stanford University); Meir Stampfer, MD, DrPH, (Harvard School of Public Health); Nikos Scarmeas, MD, MSc, (Columbia University Medical Center); Curt Ellison, MD, (Boston University School of Medicine); Kathy McManus, MS, RD, (Brigham and Women’s Hospital); Emilio Ros, MD (University of Barcelona); and others.
About Oldways and the Mediterranean Foods Alliance Oldways, a Boston-based non-profit educational organization, changes the way people eat through positive and practical programs grounded in science and tradition. The Mediterranean Foods Alliance is an Oldways program created to help people eat better with the Mediterranean diet. You can learn more at www.oldwayspt.org and www.mediterraneanmark.org.