Suzanne Holloway
| Guest columnist
The Mediterranean diet traces its roots back to the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean Basin, a region often referred to as “the cradle of society.”
Spanning three continents – Europe, Asia, and Africa – the basin includes over 20 countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and others. Renowned for its rich biodiversity, the basin is home to 25,000 plant species, nearly 300 types of mammals, over 500 bird species, and about seven percent of the world’s marine fish – both temperate and tropical.
The origins of the Mediterranean diet are centuries in the making, shaped by the people and environment of the region. Nonetheless, the Mediterranean diet is closely linked to ancient Roman and Greek cultures.
Bread, wine, and olive oil were staples that served as key cultural and agricultural symbols; additionally, these foodstuffs were accompanied by sheep’s cheese and a variety of indigenous plants, including olives, wheat, grapes, mallow, mushrooms, chicory, and leeks. Meat was eaten sparingly, with a strong preference for fish and seafood.
Learn more about the traditions at a new series, “Cooking Up Health: The Mediterranean Way,” starting Sept. 4 at the UF/IFAS Extension Leon County Office.
Centuries in the making
Over centuries, the Mediterranean diet absorbed influences from waves of conquest and cultural exchange, partially incorporating new ingredients and techniques while preserving local traditions. Between the 5th and 8th centuries, nomadic Germanic populations invaded the Roman Empire.
Theses populations were known for hunting, foraging, and small-scale farming – consuming pigs, vegetables, beer, and produce from uncultivated areas.
The 9th-century arrival of Arabs in southern Italy added carbohydrate-rich foods such as dried pasta, rice, sugar cane, and other foods like citrus, spices, and new cooking methods.
The discovery of the Americas in the late 15th century marked the final major transformation, introducing chocolate, corn, peanuts, peppers, potatoes, squash, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes, and, most famously, tomatoes – now an iconic part of Mediterranean cuisine.
Health benefits discovered
But why the Mediterranean Diet? Ancel Keys, a scientist from the University of Minnesota, first highlighted the benefits of this ancient diet. In the 1950s, Keys noticed that people in southern Italian villages were significantly healthier – especially regarding heart disease – than the wealthier citizens of New York, including Italian immigrants.
Keys led the landmark “Seven Countries Study,” which examined diet, lifestyle, and heart disease in Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Japan, Yugoslavia, and the United States. He linked the traditional Mediterranean diet – rich in olive oil, bread, pasta, vegetables, herbs, and small consumption of meats and sweets – to lower cholesterol and reduced rates of coronary heart disease.
Importantly, Keys also emphasized the value of healthy lifestyle habits, such as regular physical activity, avoiding smoking, and reducing stress. Further research has also proven the diet’s protective effects against obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Today, the term “Mediterranean diet” refers to the traditional eating habits of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, especially Greece and southern Italy. However, its meaning goes beyond just food choices. In fact, the original Greek word diaita means not just diet, but an entire “way of living” – a concept much closer to what we now call a healthy lifestyle.
Interested in learning more about the Mediterranean diet? Join us for our new series, “Cooking Up Health: The Mediterranean Way,” starting Sept. 4 at the UF/IFAS Extension Leon County Office.
Discover health benefits, tasty recipes, and simple tips to incorporate this dietary pattern into your lifestyle. This program is brought to you by the “Med Instead of Meds” curriculum and was developed by NC State University.
Suzanne Holloway is a Family and Consumer Sciences Agent with UF/IFAS Extension Leon County, an Equal Opportunity Institution. For gardening questions, email the extension office at AskAMasterGardener@ifas.ufl.edu.
If you go
What: “Cooking Up Health: The Mediterranean Way,” six-session series
When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5
Where: Leon County Extension Office, 615 Paul Russell Road
Cost: $28.52; registration required; visit sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/events
Dining and Cooking