Thanks to growing research and reports in recent years, there’s increasing global recognition that the Mediterranean diet—rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and beans, and low in meat—is among the healthiest ways to eat.
It is the eating pattern followed by people in Ikaria, Greece and Sardinia, Italy, for example, which are two of the world’s Blue Zones (regions renowned for longevity). The other Blue Zones in Loma Linda, CA; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Okinawa, Japan also emphasize plants and very little meat (as well as moderate exercise, a purposeful life, and a full social circle).
As the Blue Zones demonstrate, a plant-heavy diet seems to come with an abundance of benefits. Research suggests that due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, plant-based whole foods may help educe the risk of a myriad of diseases that plague the Western world,…
Read the full article originally published at vegnews.com.