The
Mediterranean diet is the most well-known and researched dietary pattern worldwide. It is characterized by the consumption of a wide variety of foods, such as extra-virgin
olive oil (EVOO), legumes, cereals, nuts, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, fish, and wine. Many of these foods provide several
phytonutrients, among which
polyphenols and
vitamins play an important role. Data from several studies have strongly established that nutrition is a key factor in promoting a healthy lifestyle and preventing many
chronic diseases. In particular, a large number of studies have established the protective effects of the
Mediterranean diet against several
chronic diseases, among which are diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases,
cancer, aging disorders, and against overall mortality. Animal and human translational studies have revealed the biological mechanisms regulating the beneficial effects of the traditional
Mediterranean diet. Indeed, several studies demonstrated that this nutritional pattern has
lipid-lowering, anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-oxidative effects. Moreover, the
Mediterranean diet is considered environmentally sustainable. In this review, we describe the composition of the
Mediterranean diet, assess its beneficial effects, and analyze their epigenomic, genomic, metagenomic, and transcriptomic aspects. In the future it will be important to continue exploring the molecular mechanisms through which the
Mediterranean diet exerts its protective effects and to standardize its components and serving sizes to understand more precisely its effects on human health.