The Mediterranean Diet and All The Reasons to Avoid It 

Introduction

The Mediterranean Diet is not the most popular but has recently been caught in the middle of a controversy. This diet is fairly old but has somehow managed to keep up its relevance in today’s world, but the claims this diet makes have started to become debunked. Even though the claims aren’t always true, there are still benefits to one’s overall health that come with this diet. However, the precautions including dairy consumption and overeating, do seem to outweigh the benefits. The Mediterranean Diet can be both positive and negative. This diet can provide both reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes as well as keep the body healthy for a longer period of time. However, the negative effects can cause many more issues with overall heart and weight health.

Origins of the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet originated in the 1950s and is heavily influenced by the communal eating habits of Greece and Italy. Dr. Ancel Keys introduced this diet and began explaining its benefits in the 1960s, but it did not become popular until the 1990s (2019). It became popular for its claim to have heart health benefits and the lifestyle that was advertised along with this diet. Dr. Ancel Keys was a physiology professor at the University of Minnesota but was always studying and researching nutrition. Another reason this diet became so popular is that there is not just one definition. It is fairly lenient on what you eat as well as how much you eat. This diet is normally very high in carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, and more. It is also typically heavy in the consumption of fish and dairy.

The Pros and Cons of the Mediterranean Diet

Usually, diets become popular for their ability to help people lose weight. Though this is a part of the Mediterranean diet, it’s very small. This became popular for its claim to help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. This has been proven to help because of the diet's high levels of omega-3 fatty acids (Encyclopedia 2019). Another popular reason to begin this diet is because there are no heavy food restrictions so one is able to alter the diet to fit within their dietary needs.

Although there are many benefits included in this diet, the negatives seem to outweigh the positives. Firstly, this diet is extremely carb heavy. In the Mediterranean Diet food pyramid, the largest section consists of all carbs, and with this diet’s lack of restrictions and sayings like “low to moderate” or “often”, it is very likely to accidentally overeat, causing weight gain. Another large part of this diet is dairy. A few years ago, we wouldn’t have thought much of this, but recently dairy has been under the spotlight. Many studies have been done proving dairy products to be very unhealthy. Dairy Products are high in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol which increases the risk of heart disease, contradicting what the Mediterranean Diet claims. With regular consumption of dairy, the Mediterranean Diet suggests daily consumption, it has increased risks of lung cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer (Hyman 2017). Much like any other healthy diet, it is very time-consuming and not as convenient for those who work a full-time job or have kids, etc. Lastly, the main source of meat in this diet is fish. Now, one may think this is actually better than red meat because it’s reducing our carbon footprint, and although it is, what fish does to our bodies is very unhealthy. When you eat fish, you are also consuming mercury, which is not a part of the Mediterranean diet. “Mercury poisoning is known to cause nervous system disorders and reproductive issues as well as developmental problems in unborn babies”(Kretzer 2018). Along with the dairy already clogging up one’s arteries, most of the fat in fish is saturated, meaning the liver’s going to compose artery-clogging cholesterol (Kretzer 2018).

Conclusion

Overall, The Mediterranean Diet has its ups and downs, but in the long run, most people tend to overlook the negative effects and try the diet anyways. However, trying this diet would serve no real purpose to better the health of someone, but only clog the arteries past no return and make one gain weight. Many people go on diets to lose weight and better their overall health so going on this diet would be senseless and outright dumb. I urge you to stay away from this diet and to look at other diets, such as the Paleo Diet, instead of this one. This diet can only do horrible things to your body, so please, stray away.   

References

1. Encyclopedia.com. 'Mediterranean Diet.' Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, 2019.
2. Hyman, Mark. 'The Dairy Dilemma.' Dr. Mark Hyman, 2017.
3. Kretzer, Michelle. 'Why the Mediterranean Diet Is So Unhealthy.' One Green Planet, 2018.