The Mediterranean diet has a few chief ingredients, which contribute in large measure to its effectiveness. In this section we will discuss these ingredients and how they make a difference when it comes to staying healthy and fit, unlike some other food items.

Olive Oil: The ace in the pack

The first ingredient of the Mediterranean diet that strikes you immediately is olive oil.

One characteristic of the Mediterranean diet is the frequent usage of olive oil. This is because it is still oil, and oils are considered fat-inducing. There is something about olive oil, though, which makes it special when it comes to cardiovascular disease.

Oils are classified into three categories based on the type of fat they produce:

• Unsaturated (oil derived from animals),
• Polyunsaturated (oil derived from plants, seeds, vegetables, nuts, etc.),
• Monounsaturated (oil derived from olives).

Olive oil is different, because it contains monosaturated fat. The advantage of monosaturated fat is that it does not cause increased cholesterol levels, unlike unsaturated or polyunsaturated fat.

Olive oil is rich in vitamins

Besides monosaturated fat, olive oil is also rich in Vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D, E and K, as well as other antioxidants. It also has a high iron content.

Cconsumption of olive oil, and the Mediterranean diet in general, poses no serious risk of heart disease due to increased cholesterol levels. However, it can lead to a general increase in body weight, and maybe obesity too. One needs to therefore balance this with the other components of the Mediterranean diet to ensure a healthy disease-free life.

Wine

This is another ingredient of the Mediterranean diet that doesn't seem to fit quite right with the words 'diet plan'.

While wine is naturally considered to be sugar-rich, the types of wine seen in the Mediterranean diet do not have a high sugar content. Red wine (which is consumed a lot as per this diet), has a number of phytonutrients, all of which promote good health in some way or other.

Red wine has polyphenols, which are a range of antioxidants. These prevent cellular oxidation. Besides these, red wine has other phytonutrients that help in vasodilation and increasing the platelet count.

Consume in moderation

Wine however, has to be consumed definitely in moderation. You cannot afford to gulp down a bottle of wine a day and still expect to stay trim, fit and unaffected by cardiovascular ailments.

Anything in excess is bad, as the saying goes, and it holds good for wine as well. For men, the prescribed amount of wine per day is two glasses, while for the women it is one glass.

Fish

The Mediterranean diet has oily fish as another key ingredient.

Again, while it seems an anomaly as far as the term 'diet plan' is concerned, oily fish has actually been found to be a healthy source of omega-3 unsaturated fats. These fats have complex long-chain derivatives that are anti-inflammatory as well as vasodilatory (helping in the smooth flow of blood by dilating the blood vessels).

Fish is, however, required to be consumed in moderation, like most other ingredients of the Mediterranean diet.

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