A dietary study investigating the beneficial effects of a traditional Mediterranean diet on weight, diabetes control and heart disease risk in people with Type 2 diabetes.

A randomised cross-over dietary intervention trial investigating the impact of a traditional Cretan Mediterranean diet on weight change, metabolic control and coronary risk in people with Type 2 diabetes. Subjects were randomly assigned to consume either the intervention diet ad libitum or their usual diet for 12 weeks and then cross over to the alternate diet for an additional 12 weeks. There was no washout period between the 2 diets. Most of the meals and staple foods for the intervention diet were provided. The types of foods included on the Mediterranean diet included a country style 7 grain bread, vegetable and bean soups, fish soup, vegetarian casseroles and vegetarian baked dishes, stuffed eggplant and stuffed peppers, baked fish, salads with every meal, olives with every meal and extra virgin olive oil in all salads and cooked meals. Dietary adherence was evaluated by monitoring plasma carotenoids and fatty acids, and dietary diaries.