Why Women Should Be Following The Mediterranean Diet
2022-03-30
The Mediterranean diet is characterized as one of the healthiest diets in the world, but do you know all the benefits it brings to women at all levels?
The benefits of switching to the Mediterranean Diet are vast. Regularly given the title of the “world’s healthiest diet”, our favourite diet can revolutionise your overall health - especially if you’re a woman!
The benefits of the Mediterranean Diet for women are vast, from improved menstrual cycles to warding off disease to shifting excess weight and improving fertility.
This week on the La Española Olive Oil blog, we take a look at just a few reasons women love the Mediterranean Diet.
Lowering the risk of developing PCOS
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) affects 1 in 10 women of childbearing age, and that is just the diagnosed cases. The hormonal condition results in cyst-like follicles growing on the ovaries that result in a range of symptoms including menstrual disruption, excess body hair, depression and infertility.
Studies have found that diet and lifestyle play a huge part in the development of PCOS, and obesity or poor diet can rapidly exacerbate it. The Mediterranean Diet is the world’s healthiest diet, and made up of fresh produce and little processed food or red meat. As a result, many links have been made between undertaking the diet and a lowered risk of developing PCOS and a high remission rate.
Read our full blog on PCOS here.
Anti-ageing and skin benefits
Men and women alike swear by the Mediterranean Diet for improving their skin quality and minimising the signs of ageing, and the research backs this up. As staple foods on the Mediterranean Diet are packed full of antioxidants, vitamins and healthy fats (like olive oil!), this keeps skin soft, nourished, hydrated and supple, with improved circulation and the potential to repair cellular damage.
Improved gut health
According to Better Health, 1 in 5 Australians suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and the majority are women. Others suffer from other gut issues that vary from mild to severe across their lives. The Mediterranean Diet has been proven to lower bloating and ease inflammation and discomfort associated with IBS by eliminating foods that can exacerbate it and loading up on those that can benefit the condition.
Read our full blog on the Mediterranean diet and gut health.
Improved fertility
In many cases, a healthy diet and regular exercise routine can go a long way towards boosting fertility issues that are lifestyle-related.
The Mediterranean Diet has been proven to improve female fertility by encouraging healthy weight loss (carrying excess weight has been shown to disrupt fertility), while the diet is packed with antioxidants, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and nutrients and low on alcohol and caffeine - all elements that can maximise your chances of conceiving. IVF Australia recently published a study on how the world’s healthiest diet can also aid women going through the IVF process.
Read our full blog about the links between diet and fertility.
Boosted mood and lowered anxiety
The physical benefits of undertaking the Mediterranean Diet are vast, but so are the mental and emotional benefits.
What you fuel your body and mind with is crucial, and many studies have found that the Mediterranean Diet can dramatically impact your overall mood and the chances of developing mental health disorders, like depression and anxiety. The high levels of healthy fatty acids, vitamins, antioxidants and probiotics on the diet and the limitations on caffeine, alcohol and processed foods have had astounding results across people of all ages in clinical studies, who have been found to experience improved mood and overall mental well-being.
So many other health benefits…
The health benefits of switching to the Mediterranean Diet for women don’t end there! As more and more clinical studies publish results showing that the diet is indeed the “world’s healthiest diet” for both men and women, more is discovered about how powerful it is.
Heart disease is often a silent killer in women, and the Mediterranean Diet has been shown to dramatically reduce the possibility of developing cardiovascular disease. It has also been shown to reduce the risk of developing cancer, regulate thyroid health (something that affects women far more than men) and even ward off degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s when the diet was strictly adhered to and combined with an active lifestyle .
We love the Mediterranean Diet! Have you made the switch yet?
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