Mediterranean diet offers healthy benefits

Keeping to a strict, traditional Mediterranean diet is the key to long-lasting health, according to a research team from Italy.
Old-fashioned Mediterranean diets include fruits and vegetables, fish and health fats, with little red meat, dairy or alcohol. This type of diet provides considerable protection against illnesses such as cancer and heart disease, the researchers said.
Francesco Sofi, a clinical nutrition researcher at the University of Florence, was reported as commenting: “These results seem to be clinically relevant for public health, particularly for encouraging a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern for primary prevention of major chronic diseases.”
A variety of different diets exist throughout the world, with varying degrees of healthiness. Dietitians advise people to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, and avoid unhealthy food wherever possible.