Mediterranean dietary pattern
Olive oil, fish, nuts, legumes, plants. The most-studied diet for cardiovascular and cognitive longevity.
Why
The Mediterranean pattern, heavy on plants, olive oil, fish, nuts, legumes; moderate fish and dairy; light on red meat, has the strongest evidence base of any specific diet for long-term cardiovascular and cognitive outcomes. PREDIMED, the largest trial, showed ~30% reduction in major cardiovascular events vs. low-fat control.
Slot in your day
How to do it
How
Olive oil as the primary fat. Plants at every meal. Fish 2–3× per week. Nuts daily (small handful). Red meat once a week or less. Wine optional, with food.
Sticking with it
Stock the kitchen for one week's pattern. Decisions live in the shopping list, not at mealtime.
Markers this may influence
Evidence
PREDIMED (Estruch 2018 NEJM, n=7,447, 4.8-y follow-up): a Mediterranean diet plus extra-virgin olive oil or mixed nuts vs. a low-fat control diet, ~30% reduction in major cardiovascular events (MI, stroke, CVD death). Sofi 2014 updated meta-analysis (n>4M) confirms a dose-response association with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.