Mediterranean diet and nutrition

What is the Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean diet is the typical nutritional system of the populations that, until the 1950s, colonized the Mediterranean Sea basin.

Since the second post-war period, the economic boom that has followed these Regions has led to the progressive abandonment of this ancient food style, in favor of a diet rich in fats and animal proteins.

In more recent times, this dietary style has been re-evaluated, although in its practical application it is too often contaminated and distorted by the globalization process. Consequently, most of the peoples concerned do not seem to comply satisfactorily with the dictates of the Mediterranean diet.

As anticipated, for some decades now the Mediterranean diet has been decidedly revalued, so much so that today it agrees in many respects with the indications provided by the most modern food pyramids.

The Mediterranean diet is recommended because:

Ensures an adequate supply of nutrients;
It is based on natural, poorly processed foods;
It reduces the risk for "wellness diseases", that is to say all those pathologies, such as type II diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular problems, linked to the unbalanced food style typical of Western countries.

Food

What are the typical foods of the Mediterranean diet?

The basic foods of the Mediterranean diet are:

Fresh vegetables (seasonal).
Whole grains.
Legumes.
Fresh fruit (seasonal).
Fishery products, which must be fresh, mainly small in size and composed almost exclusively of blue fish (seasonal).

They are quantitatively less important:

Meat, which must be predominantly white (avian and cunicole).
Fresh milk and yogurt.

Following:

Potatoes.
Ricotta and cheese.
Meat of large animals (red, especially sheep, goat and game).
Eggs.
Red wine.
Extra virgin olive oil.
Oilseeds (seasonal).
Herbs.

Health

Mediterranean diet and health effects

Food choices inspired by the principles of the Mediterranean diet make it possible to prevent numerous diseases. In particular, this diet has a valuable protective effect on cardiovascular diseases, because:

It produces little saturated fat (the excess of which increases LDL cholesterol levels and with them the atherosclerotic risk).
It brings little cholesterol.
It is rich in dietary fiber, which reduces the intestinal absorption of lipids and modulates that of carbohydrates, creating a glycemic-insulin surge.
It is rich in oleic acid, which lowers LDL cholesterol without affecting HDL.
It is rich in omega 6 and omega 3 essential fatty acids, which fight hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, thrombosis etc.
It is rich in antioxidants of any kind: vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, etc.
It contains only the natural sodium of food.

Furthermore, the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of developing type II diabetes mellitus because:

Being rich in dietary fiber, the rate of intestinal absorption of sugars decreases, preventing the glycemic - insulin peaks typical of contemporary western nutrition.
It is rich in starch and fructose: which have a lower glycemic - insulin index than glucose and sucrose.
It is less caloric than the contemporary western diet and, since type II diabetes is frequently associated with obesity, it is particularly indicated both in prevention and in association with drug treatment.

The Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia; to exercise these effects are:

Essential omega 3 fats, which reduce high blood pressure and hypertriglyceridemia.
Essential omega 6 and non-essential omega 9 fats, which reduce cholesterolemia.
Legum lecithins, which reduce cholesterolemia.
Phytosterols, which reduce cholesterolemia.
Antioxidants, which reduce cholesterolemia and various metabolic complications.

The Mediterranean diet also reduces the risk of obesity, because:

As we have just said, it is less caloric.
Thanks to the fibers and the type of carbohydrates it contains, it has a glycemic - insulin index referring to both foods and moderate meals.
Furthermore, the fibers favor the sense of satiety; it also contains a lot of water, which favors gastric fullness, especially in association with fibers.
It is rich in aromatic herbs that help reduce the use of fatty toppings to flavor dishes.

The Mediterranean diet reduces the general cardiovascular risk:

It prevents and treats metabolic diseases (hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia).
Prevents and cures obesity.
It is rich in omega-3 anti-inflammatory and blood-thinning.

Finally, the Mediterranean diet prevents the appearance of various tumors, since

It contains few toxic-carcinogenic molecules, instead typical of junk foods produced by fast-food restaurants. The meat of the Mediterranean diet is traditionally cooked roasted, but the frequency of consumption is so low as to be harmless.
It brings little saturated fat and many fibers (preventive effect on the development of colon / rectal cancer, stomach and breast).
It is rich in anti-radical antioxidants, which have a documented preventive effect on prostate cancer and other types of tumors.

Therefore, even if it does not work miracles, a food style inspired by the principles of the Mediterranean diet is able to reduce the risk of developing numerous pathologies.