For a Lifelong Healthy Diet, Look to the Mediterranean

A Mediterranean getaway may be too expensive these days, but a taste of the region is just what the doctor ordered. The most thorough study to date of the Mediterranean diet confirms long-held beliefs about its health benefits, writes Dr. Peter Libby in the New York Times. It’s “lower in saturated fat, more varied, and often more satisfying.”

The diet—rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil, and red wine (in moderation, of course)—trumps fatty American fare. Research also shows that it lowers incidence of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and reduces cardiovascular and cancer death. But the diet’s great asset is its sustainability, Libby says: “You can stick to it, and like it, year after year.” He notes the irony that obesity is on the rise in the region as the Western fast-food diet takes over.