Mediterranean Diet for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes

The Mediterranean (Med) diet is rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and olive oil and low in red meat and is promoted as a healthy eating model for prevention of diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. This is supported by strong and consistent evidence from epidemiologic studies and some evidence from clinical trials. It is thought that the high antioxidant capacity of the diet reduces oxidative damage and low-grade inflammation. The Med diet has been shown to favorably modify known vascular risk factors, including blood lipid profile, blood pressure, inflammatory markers, insulin resistance, and endothelial dysfunction. However, further large-scale clinical trials are required to confirm the benefit of a Med diet for prevention of vascular and metabolic disease. This chapter will review the current epidemiologic and clinical trial evidence evaluating a Med diet for prevention of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.