The Mediterranean Diet, from the Greek ‘lifestyle’, is a nutritional model inspired by the diet of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Ancel Keys, an American epidemiologist, is the founding father. He is also an honorary citizen of the municipality of Pollica, renamed Minnelea, in honour of his hometown, ‘Minn’ and the nearby town of ‘Elea’, home of the philosophers Parmenides and Zeno. It is in the Cilento area, in effect, that scientists have carried out studies on the Mediterranean Diet for over 40 years.
In the United States the link between the cardiovascular system and dieting was understood. He developed a comparison study on dietary solutions: The Seven Countries Study. It compared 14 subjects, aged between 40 and 59, in seven countries from three continents (Finland, Japan, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States and Yugoslavia). It became apparent that among the populations of the Mediterranean basin – who nourish themselves with pasta, fish, fruit and vegetables and olive oil – the mortality rate from Coronary heart disease was much lower than that in countries such as Finland, where the diet included saturated fats (butter, lard, red meat).
The pyramid, divided into three parts, is the graphic model for displaying the individual rules of the Mediterranean diet. The foods placed in the lower part require daily consumption: fruit, vegetables, cereals (preferably whole wheat ones), legumes (an excellent source of vegetable proteins) and nuts (rich in antioxidants). There is also olive oil, milk and yoghurt. Those in the central part, on the other hand, require a weekly consumption, due to the provenance of the animal: fish, white meat, eggs, cheese (especially fresh ones). The top, is to be consumed in moderation: red meat, sugar, sweets, sauces, and animal fats (butter). The pyramid is then completed by following a few simple rules: do daily physical activity; choose seasonal products; drink plenty of water; alternate colors and varieties of vegetables and fruits; use herbs and spices to reduce the addition of salt; limit the consumption of alcohol (although red wine is recognized as having some benefits).
The reduced intake of sugars and saturated fats is crucial in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and depression. DM is also an excellent tool to preventing degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. Its effects are also a valuable tool against metabolic diseases, vitamin deficiency and help against the risk of heart attacks.
Prevention must be done through an appropriate calorie intake between carbohydrates, proteins and saturated fats, since each food contains the right amount of active ingredients. So, a high vitamin intake, an antioxidant effect and the control of blood glycemic and cholesterol levels allow human beings to live well and healthily. The Mediterranean model, therefore, also becomes the future model. It has been thought that chairs of the Mediterranean Diet have been set up in China. Delegations of scholars come to Italy to learn its secrets and then disclose them.
The Mediterranean diet, as well as well-being, is friendly to the environment. In fact, when turning the pyramid upside down, you get an environmental pyramid. The recommended foods which you should use more of, are the same which reflect on having a lower environmental impact. Respecting the products in season means that you need to watch the weather, enriching and diversifying the crops, while favouring organic farming techniques. Therefore, to preserve biodiversity. Choosing it is not the same as taking real natural medicine but its to keep the extraordinary legacy of mankind alive too. It is not a coincidence that in 2010 UNESCO declared it an intangible cultural custom of humanity.
Among the nutritional foods there is, olive oil – the only fat, contemplated by the diet. It is a plant which is deeply rooted and is at the base of our culture. It can be identified as a ‘medicinal plant’ for its oils and the composition of its substances. Olive oil, if consumed mindfully, it is a functional food for cancer-fighting benefits; it helps against the onset of cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases; against age-related diseases and reduces the number of deaths. In addition, it also acts as an anti-inflammatory and chemotherapeutic agent. Some studies compare it to breast milk or to the properties of ibuprofen. Foods such as pumpkin, blueberries, dark chocolate are also recommended to limit the formation of oxidative stress, responsible for damage to the nervous system. At the same time wild herbs – whose growth rate follows natural biological rhythms – contains more minerals, vitamins and fibers than the cultivated vegetables.
It has been observed, by choosing it, how there are also economic benefits: reduction of health expenditures, since it improves the health status; reduces household spending since seasonal products are preferred; promotes companies in the Mediterranean regions because there is a demand for biological products, which creates income and employment; and finally, promotes of the agro-food offer from our land, contributing to the seasonal products that are offered to tourists.