On Instagram, Dr Jean-Michel Cohen presents the Mediterranean diet as a reference for health and weight. The idea is correct provided that it is qualified: this dietary model is especially strong for the heart, and it does not lead to automatic weight loss.
A mostly plant-based plate, not a restrictive diet
The Mediterranean diet is not a “diet” in the strict sense of the term. It is rather a dietary model inspired by the traditional habits of several countries around the Mediterranean. The nutritionist insists on a base composed of plant products, cereal products and “in particular legumes”. This is the heart of the matter: plants in the center of the plate.
Concretely, this model is based on fruits and vegetables, dried vegetables such as lentils, chickpeas or beans, whole grains, unsalted nuts, fish, as well as vegetable oils. The French guidelines go in the same direction: move towards rapeseed, walnut and olive oils, increase dried vegetables and unsalted nuts, and reduce cold meats.
Another point raised by the expert: it is not a question of eliminating all animal proteins, but of being “very careful” about their place, with a reduction in meat and cold meats. Here again, the message is consistent with current recommendations: limit cold meats and red meatswithout transforming food into a rigid rule.
Dairy products can remain in reasonable portions, and oilseeds – almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts or peanuts – can be added “in a very reasonable manner”. This precision counts: vegetable oils and nuts have a real place in this model, but they remain energetic. The objective is therefore not to add unlimited amounts, but to better choose your sources of fat: olive, rapeseed or walnut oilrather than an excess of butter, cold meats or highly processed products.
To move from theory to practice, you can also consult our advice on how to adopt the Mediterranean diet on a daily basis.
Heart, weight: what we can really expect
It is on cardiovascular health that the evidence is most convincing. A large clinical trial, PREDIMED, republished in 2018, showed that in adults at high cardiovascular risk, a Mediterranean diet enriched with extra virgin olive oil or nuts was associated with fewer major cardiovascular events than a control diet reduced in fat. In short:
the strongest data concerns cardiovascular health.
For the rest of health, we must avoid promises that are too broad. Good adherence to the Mediterranean model is associated with a better health profile and a lower risk of several chronic diseases in certain studies. But association does not mean causation : this work does not allow us to conclude that this dietary method protects against “all” risks.
The probable reasons for its interest are nevertheless easy to understand: more fiber thanks to plants and legumes, more unsaturated fats via vegetable oils, fish and nuts, less excess saturated fats, and a diet generally less centered on processed meat products. Alcohol is not necessary to benefit from this model. R Jean-Michel Cohen also makes it clear: wine or alcohol should not be sought as a protective element.
What about the weight? This is where nuance is essential. The nutritionist recalls that effectiveness depends on “control of food rations”. That’s correct: it is not losing weight by itself. A review of randomized trials in overweight or obese people concludes that the weight loss achieved with this model is broadly comparable to that of other dietary approaches.
Its interest lies elsewhere: it can be durable, varied and compatible with a social life, provided that it is adapt the quantities to their needs, their physical activity, their medical context and their objectives. In the event of significant excess weight, chronic illness, treatment or eating disorders, it is best to talk about it with a healthcare professional, without changing current monitoring alone.
To go deeper, True Medical also looks at the health benefits of the Cretan or Mediterranean diet and the main benefits of the Mediterranean diet.