Diet could become heritage icon

Spain is encouraging the culture body of the United Nations, Unesco, to add the Mediterranean diet to the world heritage list. Usually reserved for specific events, such as the Mexican Festival of the Dead, Spain have taken the initiative in trying to get their diet included in the Unesco distinction.
The Mediterranean diet, recently shown to be useful in combating type 2 diabetes, is associated with olive oil, tomatoes, and fresh seafood. However, nutritionists argue that there is nothing particularly special about the Mediterranean diet, with similarly healthy diets existing in Japan, and also potentially in Scotland.
Common dietary links throughout the Mediterranean include olive oil, lots of fruit, vegetable and grains, and more fish than meat. Red wine was also part of the diet, which is widely regarded as preserving life and curing ailments.