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Nutrition pattern

Mediterranean-style diet quality shift

Diet quality ranks just below adiposity because randomized trials support improvements in inflammatory biomarkers and because the WHO healthy-diet points are broad, actionable, and low risk.

Last reviewed: June 14, 2026

Rank score 87
hsCRP / CRP Lower hsCRP signal in RCT meta-analysis
IL-6 Lower IL-6 signal in RCT meta-analysis
Confidence Medium

Marker interpretation

The current evidence supports direction and relative priority better than a universal mg/L estimate. A person moving from a highly processed, low-fibre pattern to a Mediterranean-style pattern is more likely to see a measurable change than someone already eating close to that pattern.

Practical focus and cautions

  • Prioritize vegetables, fruit, pulses, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fish, and unsaturated fats.
  • Reduce free sugars, industrial trans fats, excess saturated fat, and highly processed foods.
  • Treat the diet as a pattern, not as one supplement, oil, or single anti-inflammatory food.
  • Diet trials vary by population and control diet, so the app should avoid promising a fixed hsCRP or IL-6 change.
  • Clinical diet restrictions, kidney disease, eating disorders, pregnancy, and medication interactions can change priorities.
  1. NUTRITION 01

    Base carbohydrate intake primarily on whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and pulses.

  2. NUTRITION 02

    For people older than 10, use at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables per day as a practical minimum.

  3. NUTRITION 03

    Aim for at least 25 g per day of naturally occurring dietary fibre in adults.

  4. NUTRITION 04

    Keep free sugars below 10% of total daily energy, with 5% as a stricter target when feasible.

  5. NUTRITION 05

    Treat fruit juice, honey, syrups, and added sweeteners as free-sugar sources rather than neutral extras.

  6. NUTRITION 06

    Keep total fat intake around 30% of energy or less when the goal is to prevent unhealthy weight gain.

  7. NUTRITION 07

    Prefer unsaturated fats from foods such as fish, avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, canola oil, and similar plant oils.

  8. NUTRITION 08

    Keep saturated fat below 10% of total energy and replace it with unsaturated fat or fibre-containing carbohydrates.

  9. NUTRITION 09

    Avoid industrial trans fats rather than trying to fit them into a healthy pattern.

  10. NUTRITION 10

    Use steaming, boiling, baking, or sauteing with suitable oils more often than deep frying.

  11. NUTRITION 13

    Increase potassium mainly through fruit and vegetables unless a clinician has restricted potassium.

  12. NUTRITION 14

    Use variety across and within food groups to reduce micronutrient gaps.

  13. NUTRITION 15

    Limit highly processed foods that combine excess sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fat.

  14. NUTRITION 16

    Shift some protein toward plant sources when culturally and nutritionally appropriate.

  15. NUTRITION 17

    Keep protein adequate, but avoid treating very high protein intake as automatically healthier.

Sources