There is good evidence to support adopting the Mediterranean diet, to help ensure general good health. There are some additional advantages relating to gut health specifically:
Bowel cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death (after lung cancer).
It shows very striking differences in incidence around the world and these differences are thought to be largely due to diet – particularly the “western” diet favoured by developed countries.
The Mediterranean diet is higher in fibre, and we know there is an 11% decrease in the risk of developing bowel cancer for an extra 10g of fibre per day in
We know the Mediterranean diet is higher in fibre than typical Western diets. In the UK, a typical diet provides just 19g of fibre per day (compared with the advice to aim for 30g per day).
Fibre benefits the gut microbiome by increasing the amounts of beneficial species living in our gut (such as lactobacillus and bifidobacterial). Put simply, fibre ‘feeds’ the microorganisms living in your gut.
Bowel cancer by 8% Cardiovascular disease by 9% Heart attacks by 9% Strokes by 7% Incidence of type two diabetes by 6%