10 Reasons to join ‘club Med’

1 IT’S THE BEST WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT

People on a calorie-rich diet, packed with “good” fats, such as those in olive oil, lost more weight than those who strictly controlled their calories. A University of Barcelona study also found that cutting down on fat was the least effective way to trim “spare tyres”.

2 YOU’LL LIVE LONGER

One in 10 residents in the Italian village of Acciaroli, on the banks of the Mediterranean, will live to 100. Their simple secret? A healthy Mediterranean diet flavoured with plenty of rosemary, said to help with brain function.

3 AND STAY SHARP

Older people who followed a Mediterranean diet retained more brain volume over a three-year period than those who did not follow the diet as closely. The study, published in the journal Neurology, defined brain volume as the amount of grey matter and the thickness of the outer layer of the brain.

4 IT SLASHES THE RISK OF CANCER

The Med diet reduced the risk of breast cancer by 57%, major heart attacks and strokes by 29% and Type 2 diabetes by 30%, according to researchers from the US Department of Veterans Affairs medical centre.

5 AND CONTROLS DIABETES

A recent review of 20 research trials, involving more than 3 000 people with Type 2 diabetes, found that if you want to lose weight and improve your cholesterol and blood sugar control, then this diet is your best bet.

6 BETTER THAN STATINS?

People with cardiovascular disease should be prescribed a diet high in olive oil, vegetables and nuts before doctors consider turning to pills, concluded scientists in Pozzilli, Italy. Those who followed the diet were 37% less likely to die prematurely from heart disease than patients who did not.

7 BOOSTS MEN IN THE BEDROOM

The diet appeared to reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction and boosted men’s testosterone levels, said University of California scientists.

8 MAY HELP AVOID ADHD

Research published in the journal Pediatrics found that children with high sugar and fat intakes were seven times more likely to have the disorder. It also reported a trend that youngsters who rarely ate fish, olive oil, fruits and vegetables often displayed ADHD symptoms.

9 STRONG BONES

Women who eat a Mediterranean diet are up to 30% less likely to suffer hip fractures.

Scientists in Bavaria believe the nutrients in these foods may protect against the bone-thinning condition osteoporosis. 10 HELPS EASE PAIN OF ARTHRITIS

The diet can reduce markers of inflammation and improve knee flexion and hip rotation in people with osteoarthritis, according to a University of Kent study. A separate Japanese study found that the diet could help suppress rheumatoid arthritis.