Balanced diet (Mediterranean)
Base · Lifestyle
Tier A
What this is
Best-studied dietary pattern; PREDIMED showed ~30% relative reduction in major CV events. Effects on all-cause mortality in RCTs less clear than observational data suggests.
Mechanism
High plant-food/olive oil/fish intake; polyphenol load; low ultraprocessed food; favorable effects on lipids, BP, insulin sensitivity, inflammation
Dose & route
Emphasis on vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, nuts, EVOO, fish; limited red/processed meat
Citations
- https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1800389
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.313348
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11795232/
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This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.