It lowers cancer risk

A wide-ranging 2010 study that looked at Mediterranean dietary pattern and cancer risk in observational epidemiological studies concluded that "there is a probable protective role of the Mediterranean diet toward cancer in general". A 2013 paper by Ohio State University went further by suggesting that apigenin, a compound commonly found in the Mediterranean diet, essentially re-educates breast cancer cells into normal cells that die as scheduled. Research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that postmenopausal women with greater adherence to the diet had a reduced risk of breast cancer of 22%.

It lowers diabetes type 2 risk

Researchers from Harokopio University in Athens, Greece conducted a large-scale study of 162,000 people in different countries over an average of 5.5 years, to see the health benefits of Mediterranean food. They concluded that a Mediterranean diet was associated with a 21 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared with other eating patterns.

The World Health Organisation has found that in regions of the world where plant-based diets are more common, the national or regional rates for non-communicable chronic diseases such as diabetes type 2 are considerably lower, compared to areas where animal-base diets are more prevalent. The Mediterranean diet is widely accepted to be one of the best plant-based diets, with many benefits and few risks.

Why the Mediterranean diet triumphs as the most healthy and nourishing eating plan