Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40374164›Full record

ArticleThe American journal of clinical nutrition2025

Three decades of the Mediterranean diet pyramid: A narrative review of its history, evolution, and advances.

Frank B Hu, Greg Drescher, Antonia Trichopoulou, Walter C Willett, Miguel A Martínez-González

Abstract readHistorical Article
In one paragraph

Article in The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed.

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  4. Association between midlife macronutrient intake and late-life hearing loss: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Frank B HuDepartment of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States. Electronic address: nhbfh@channing.harvard.edu.
Greg DrescherThe Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY, United States.
Antonia TrichopoulouCenter for Public Health Research and Education, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece; Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Walter C WillettDepartment of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.
Miguel A Martínez-GonzálezDepartment of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.

Funding

Mediterranean diet, Metabolites, and Cardiovascular DiseaseR01HL118264 · NHLBI · HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · PI HU, FRANK B, LAMUELA-RAVENTÓS, ROSA · 2013 to 2025
$6.8M
Lifestyle Interventions, metabolites, microbiome, and diabetes riskR01DK127601 · NIDDK · HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · PI HU, FRANK B, RUIZ-CANELA, MIGUEL · 2021 to 2024
$1.9M
Dietary Interventions, Metabolites, and Risk of Type 2 DiabetesR01DK102896 · NIDDK · HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · PI HU, FRANK B, MARTINEZ GONZALEZ, MIGUEL A. · 2014 to 2017
$1.9M
NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL118264NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK102896NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK127601
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) pyramid was officially published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1995. Since then, our understanding of the role of the MedDiet and its role in reducing risk of chronic diseases has grown substantially.

objectivesThis article aims to provide a narrative review of the historical context of the MedDiet and its environmental impact, summarize health-related evidence from the past 3 decades, and explore its practical applications and cultural adaptations.

methodsRelevant studies were identified through searches of PubMed and other major databases. We prioritzed publications from the past 3 decades, while also including influential earlier studies where appropriate. Evidence was synthesized qualitatively to summarize key findings and identify gaps for future research.

resultsA large body of evidence from prospective cohort studies, randomized controlled trials, and mechanistic studies consistently supports the benefits of the MedDiet for the prevention of chronic diseases, particularly cardiometabolic diseases and the improvement of healthy aging. Growing evidence demonstrates that the MedDiet promotes favorable changes in circulating metabolites and gut microbiome composition, providing novel insights into biological mechanisms underlying its health benefits and informing the development of precision nutrition strategies. The MedDiet aligns with the principles of the planetary health diet recommended by the EAT-Lancet Commission, which aims to promote both human health and environmental sustainability. The development of the MedDiet pyramid 30 y ago inspired the creation of the Asian, African, and Latin-American heritage diet pyramids.

conclusionsOver the past 3 decades, substantial evidence has accumulated to strongly support the benefits of the MedDiet in preventing chronic diseases and promoting healthy aging. Despite robust evidence, further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and adaptability of the MedDiet across diverse populations, cultural settings, and food environments.

Indexed as

Diet, MediterraneanCardiovascular DiseasesChronic DiseaseHistory, 20th CenturyHistory, 21st CenturyHumanscardiovascular diseasecohort studiesMediterranean dietmetabolomicsnutritional epidemiologyolive oilrandomized controlled trialssustainability

Identifiers

PMID40374164
PMCPMC13639439

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.