Why the Mediterranean diet?

Diet is known to have an effect on long-term diseases. These include heart and blood vessel problems known as cardiovascular disease. Observations from a study in the 1960s found that cardiovascular disease was linked to fewer deaths in some Mediterranean countries, such as Greece and Italy, than in the U.S. and northern Europe.

More-recent studies linked the Mediterranean diet with lower risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Today, the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthy eating plans that American nutrition experts recommend. It's also recognized by the World Health Organization as a healthy-eating pattern.

Many cultures have eating patterns similar to the Mediterranean diet, including Japan, for example.

And other diets have some of the same recommendations as the Mediterranean diet. Two examples are the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Research suggests that it's key to follow the Mediterranean diet over the long term for your heart to benefit.