Following A Mediterranean Diet May Reduce Chronic Pain, Study Finds

Here's what the Mediterranean-style diet really entails, what makes it effective, and how to get started with it.

As a refresher, the Mediterranean diet loosely replicates how people in countries around the Mediterranean Sea, like Spain, Greece, and Italy, tend to eat. It consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and olive oil, as well as some dairy and meat. There are a few elements of this diet that may help ease chronic pain, including:

In addition to the Mediterranean diet, researchers found evidence that diets containing turmeric—a potent anti-inflammatory spice6—may also help reduce pain. They found poor-quality or insufficient evidence that adding olive oil, ginger, or herbal teas to your routine can reduce pain (though that doesn't mean these won't come with other health perks).

The authors of the Pain Physician review call for more research on the link between diet, inflammatory markers, and disease states before we can conclusively say that any one way of eating is better than another for pain management. However, the Mediterranean diet is considered one of the world's healthiest for a reason. Here are a few other ways that it seems to support whole-body health:

One nice thing about the Mediterranean diet is that it's a pretty flexible eating plan that is welcoming of many foods and only restrictive of a couple.

A recent scientific review found that following a Mediterranean diet may help reduce chronic musculoskeletal pain. If you're ready to eat like you're in southern Greece in the name of pain relief and overall health, here's our 101 guide to starting the Mediterranean diet, complete with a 7-day meal plan. And if you're not much of a cook, check out these delivery services that bring Mediterranean-style meals to your doorstep.