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Mediterranean diet is mainly based on plant-based food. Such food may include green leafy vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, beans, seeds legumes and nuts. The diet can also include fish, low-to-moderate intake of dairy product, low to moderate intake of wine, etc.

Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
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Some of the benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet are listed as under

Mediterranean Diet is Rich in Monounsaturated Fat: (olive oil, avacado, etc)
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helps lowering bad cholestral level and increasing good cholestral level.whic in turn helps from heart disease, type-II diabetes, etc.

Mediterranean Diet is Rich in Antioxidants:
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(red wine a good source of antioxidants, flavonoid phenolics)

helps in fighting free-radical damage and in giving protection against heart disease, clotting of blood, etc.

Mediterranean Diet is High in Dietary Fiber:
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(oat bran, wheat bran, Brussels sprout, etc )

slows the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose, thereby reducing blood glucose level,and promoting weight loss.

Mediterranean Diet is Rich in Beta-Carotene: (tomatoes)
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fights free-radical damaged caused to the skin and helps in maintaining healthy skin.

Mediterranean Diet is High on Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
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(walnuts, flax seeds, salmon,)
helps in fighting various types of heart disease.

Mediterranean Diet may be Rich in Cancer-Fighting Compounds:
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The compounds present in this diet (such as in olive oil) may block carcinogens and remove them from the body. This may help in reducing the risk of cancer.

And finally to conclude , In Mediterranean diet, the consumption of eggs and sweets are limited. This can reduce the intake of harmful saturated fats, sweets, bad cholesterol, etc through food.

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When we think of the Mediterranean diet, we picture Europeans leisurely dining on meals of fish, vegetables, fruits, olives, and crusty whole-grain bread dunked in olive oil, along with a glass of wine.

For thousands of years, residents of the Mediterranean coastal region have enjoyed this kind of delicious diet -- high in plant foods and monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) -- while getting plenty of regular physical activity. They don’t think of their eating habits as a diet plan; it's simply their way of life. And it's a way of life that apparently leads to long, healthy lives virtually free of chronic disease.

For the past 50 years, scientists have studied the eating patterns characteristic of the Mediterranean diet -- and they continue to find additional health benefits. Recently, a large study published in journal BMJ showed that healthy people who followed a Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Further, a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that a restricted-calorie Mediterranean diet (as well as a low-carb diet) could be even more effective for weight loss than a low-fat diet, while also offering other health benefits.
"Research continues to demonstrate that being physically active and eating a nutritious diet of primarily whole foods that are filling and satisfying can enable people to control weight, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reduce risk of diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and basically protect against chronic diseases," says cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, creator of the South Beach Diet, based on the Mediterranean diet model.