The Role of the Mediterranean Diet on Health and Its Inspiration for Chinese Diet

Abstract

Health problems in China are becoming increasingly serious, as people's consumption levels increase, the drawbacks of imbalanced dietary intake continue to emerge. On the list of the world's best diets, Mediterranean Diet has been champion for five consecutive years. As the top, the Mediterranean diet has a unique and superior dietary pattern. Many studies have shown that the MD helps to lower rates of chronic diseases. Therefore, this paper explores the advantages of MD’s nutritional structure and its positive impact on chronic diseases, in order to find new solutions for the Chinese diet to be more beneficial to human health. After introducing the origin and development of the Mediterranean diet, this paper explains the main dietary rules and food composition of the Mediterranean diet, and analyzes the advantages of its nutritional structure by combining specific food groups with their nutrient content. MD’s positive effects on different kinds of chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, are presented through a synthesis of studies. Then the current status and shortcomings of the Chinese diet are analyzed, and the possibilities for the development of the Chinese diet are further explored by comparing the two different dietary patterns. It is hoped that this paper will contribute to a healthier Chinese diet in the future.