Mediterranean diet fades in countries where it began
A review by Temple researcher Domenico Praticò says traditional eating patterns are declining in Greece, Spain and southern Italy.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
2 min read
People in parts of the Mediterranean are moving away from the traditional eating pattern named for their region, according to a new review by Domenico Praticò of Temple University. The shift matters because decades of scientific evidence have linked the Mediterranean diet with lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other chronic illnesses, Praticò’s review says.
Praticò, M.D., is a professor in the Department of Neural Sciences at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. His review describes a sharp contrast: the Mediterranean diet is gaining attention around the world while it steadily loses ground in countries where it originated.
Traditional habits decline at home
The review points to populations in Greece, Spain and southern Italy as examples of the change. According to Praticò, nutritional choices in those places are shifting away from long-standing dietary habits tied to the Mediterranean model.
The review does not frame the diet as a fading scientific idea. It says the evidence connecting it to better health outcomes has built up over decades, including associations with lower rates of several chronic diseases.
That makes the regional decline notable, according to Praticò. The eating pattern is not losing visibility globally; instead, the countries most closely associated with it are among the places where traditional habits are weakening.
Global popularity grows
Praticò’s review says the Mediterranean diet continues to gain popularity beyond its place of origin. That broader interest comes as people in Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Spain and southern Italy make food choices that diverge from older local patterns.
The finding presents a nutrition paradox: a diet widely cited for health benefits is becoming less common in the communities that helped define it. Praticò’s review identifies the trend as part of a broader shift in nutritional choices, rather than a rejection of the scientific evidence behind the diet.
The review adds to concern that traditional dietary patterns can weaken even when outside interest in them rises. For public health researchers, the reported shift highlights a gap between the global reputation of the Mediterranean diet and the everyday eating habits of some populations in the region, according to Praticò.
This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.