Abstract

The classic Mediterranean Diet is designed to improve health and decrease the rate of medical disorders, particularly arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, obesity, intellectual decline, glucose intolerance, Diabetes, arthritis, vascular disease, digestive diseases and inflammatory conditions. It’s even appropriate for preventing and managing mental decline. This diet also offers a beneficial effect in the relief of osteoarthritis, joint inflammation and many painful conditions and is beneficial for the healing of injuries, traumas and surgery. Injuries, whether from a car accident, surgery or trauma, heal better and faster when following the Mediterranean Diet. Sports injuries heal faster too, which is why many trainers use it to treat injured athletes. Painful conditions such as neck, back and joint pain improve significantly as well.

This diet has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, which has a positive impact on the treatment of inflammatory conditions of muscles, tendons and ligaments. It even improves fatigue and psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression. Additionally, this diet has a dramatic effect on joints, preventing arthritis, and if a person is already suffering from arthritic conditions, it promotes healing and decreases inflammation of the affected joints.

The cardiovascular advantage is well known: Mediterranean diet improves heart disease, lowers blood pressure and it is known to prevent atherosclerosis. It lowers overall cholesterol levels, raises levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein), which is the good cholesterol that provides cardiovascular protection, lowers levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which is the bad cholesterol that causes heart and vascular disease, reduces the oxidation of LDL, making it less prone to harden the arteries (atherogenic).