Did you know that Spain is Europe’s number one producer and exporter of organic foods? And it is the fifth largest exporter in the world! It comes as no surprise that the Spanish Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world. The Spanish have easy access to the healthiest and tastiest foods and they know how to eat like kings, indulge themselves and stay healthy. Let’s have a look at eight scientific health benefits of the Spanish diet. 

Spain is not about a calorie-restricted diet. Its world renown Mediterranean regimen emphasises eating a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and fish, including an abundance of olive oil, a moderate amount of dairy foods, and a low amount of red meat. And it is always customary to drink a little red wine socially during meals. The Spanish focus on enjoying food and drink with loved ones, along with being physically active. It is an essential part of their daily lives and a ritual that is just as important as football. Because eating is sacred and meant to be enjoyed, the Spanish do not restrict themselves counting — be it calories, fat grams, or glycemic load — by which to gauge that moderation. 

Robert E. Graham, MD, MPH, an integrative medicine physician at Physio Logic in Brooklyn, New York says: “I look at it as a Mediterranean lifestyle. It’s not so much what they eat, which is beneficial and anti-inflammatory; it’s in how they eat it. They eat it with gusto. They eat it with family members.” It is a ritual that Spaniards take the time to enjoy and share with loved ones. 

The Spanish Mediterranean diet reduces heart disease

Numerous studies suggest the Spanish Mediterranean diet is good for your heart, which may explain why Spain is one of the countries with the lowest rate of heart disease. 

Convincing evidence of this bold statement comes from a study known as PREDIMED, conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine in April 2013. For about five years, authors followed 7,000 women and men in Spain who had type 2 diabetes or high risk for cardiovascular disease. 

Those who ate an unrestricted calorie Spanish Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts ended up with a 30% lower risk of heart-related complications.

Science demonstrates the Spanish Mediterranean diet reduces women’s chance of having a stroke

The PREDIMED study demonstrates that eating the Spanish way helps lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in some people. There is also evidence that it may also help reduce stroke risk in women, according to a study published in September 2018 in the journal Stroke. 

Researchers looked at a predominantly white group of 23,232 men and women ages 40 to 77 who lived in the United Kingdom. They discovered that the women who followed the Spanish Mediterranean diet developed a lower risk of having a stroke. Most notably, in women who were at high risk of having a stroke, following the diet it reduced their chances of this health event happening by 20%.

The Spanish Mediterranean diet prevents cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease

“The brain is a very hungry organ. To supply all of those nutrients and oxygen that it needs, you have to have a rich blood supply. So, people who are having any problems with their vascular health — their blood vessels — are really at increased risk for developing problems with their brain, and then that frequently will present itself as cognitive decline,” says Keith Fargo, PhD, director of scientific programs and outreach for the Alzheimer’s Association. The Spanish Mediterranean diet is heart-healthy, which also helps to reduce a decline in your memory and thinking skills with age.

A July 2016 review, published in the journal Frontier in Nutrition, looked at the effect of the Mediterranean diet on cognitive function. It produced striking evidence that this diet is associated with improving cognition, slowing cognitive decline, or reducing the conversion to Alzheimer’s disease. 

The Spanish Mediterranean diet is an excellent option for weight loss and to maintain a healthy size

Likely due to its focus on whole, fresh foods, the Mediterranean diet may help you lose weight safely. It is not for a fast approach but certainly a great eating habit to get into for long lasting results.  

According to an analysis of the Spanish PREDIMED trial data published in August 2016, over five years, eating a calorie-unrestricted Mediterranean diet high in unsaturated vegetable fat led to slightly more weight loss and added less to participants’ waist circumferences than a low-fat diet.

People who added extra-virgin olive oil to their diets lost the most weight — 0.88 kilograms (kg), or 1.9 pounds on average. Those who added nuts lost 0.4 kg on average (0.88 pounds), and those in the control group who ate a low-fat diet lost 0.6 kg (1.3 pounds).

The Spanish way of eating helps control type 2 Diabetes

The Spanish healthy way of eating helps prevent type 2 diabetes and is certainly an excellent way to maintain the sugar levels and and control it. 

Using participants from the PREDIMED study, researchers randomised a subgroup of 418 people ages 55 to 80 without diabetes and followed up with them after four years to see if they had developed the disease. The study showed that participants who followed the Mediterranean diet, had a 52% lower risk for type 2 diabetes during the four year follow-up, without any extra exercise. The study also indicated that it improved blood sugar levels due to the diet’s low-carbohydrate, low-glycemic index, and high-protein diets.

The Spanish Mediterranean diet is proving a great ally against Rheumatoid Arthritis

Certain properties of the Mediterranean diet, including its richness in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids are what seems to help relieve RA symptoms. 

According to the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements, research suggests that long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish) may help relieve RA symptoms on top of medication, though more research is needed. The consumption of fish is very high in the Spanish diet and it is also the way they prepare their fish. Combined with everything else this super healthy diet commands, it seems it may also be an excellent preventive way of protecting yourself from Rheumatoid Arthritis. 

The Spanish way is the way to fight cancer

A meta-analysis and review of 83 studies published in October 2017 in the journal Nutrients suggests that the Spanish Mediterranean diet may help reduce the risk of certain cancers. The most common are breast cancer and colorectal cancer. They believe it may even go as far as to prevent cancer-related death. “These observed beneficial effects are mainly driven by higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains,” confirmed the author of the study. 

The data from the PREDIMED experiment, found that women who ate a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil had a 62% lower risk of breast cancer than those in the control group that ate a low-fat diet. 

It is not just the Spanish way of life that keeps depressions away, but their diet too

The Spanish way of eating is linked to lower incidences of depression, according to an analysis of 41 observational studies published in September 2018 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. Researchers could not determine exactly why the Mediterranean diet keeps depression away but they were able to conclude that the people following the Spanish Mediterranean diet had a 33% reduced risk of depression compared to those who followed a north American style diet. These results are interesting enough to start pursuing a new study on diet-based interventions for depressions. 

Relocating to Spain is a health choice

Relocating to Spain especially for retirement is not only beneficial for the quality of life under the sun in tropical surroundings, but it may also be an excellent move for health reasons. Not only do the Spanish know how to enjoy life, they know how to eat well, take care of themselves to enjoy a long healthy life. Joining them could help us achieve the same.