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The purpose of this article is to review the historical development of the healthy food model of the Mediterranean Diet and related scientific knowledge from the early 1960s to the present time. The review presents the origins of the first pyramid of the traditional Mediterranean Diet in 1993 and how it has been revised to produce, in 2010, a new u...
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... first traditional Mediterranean Diet pyramid was presented in 1993 at the international conference on Mediterranean Diets held at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston (Willett et al., 1995), and it was compared to the 1992 food guide pyramid issued by the US Department of Agriculture in preparation for the 1995 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Then, in 1994, it was copyrighted by Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust (see Figure 1) (Willett et al., 1995). ...
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Background/Objectives: Populations in Mediterranean countries are abandoning the traditional Mediterranean diet (MD) and lifestyle, shifting towards unhealthier habits due to profound cultural and socioeconomic changes. The SWITCHtoHEALTHY project aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of a multi-component nutritional intervention to improve the adh...
Background
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Citations
... These studies confirm the findings of epidemiology related to vascular health and hypertension and indicate also that a high intake of foods typical of the Mediterranean dietary pattern and a good adherence to it provides protection against coronary heart disease and may be inversely associated with the development of various types of cancer, arthritis, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. They may also be effective in improving health status and reduce mortality [1][2][3].Thus, the pattern has been garnering interest throughout the world and more people are interested in the health benefits it confers. ...
... The last 2010 version (Eighth International Congress on The Mediterranean Diet, Barcelona), incorporates lifestyle and cultural elements such as moderation, conviviality, seasonality and eco-friendliness. In other words, the new revised modern Mediterranean diet takes into consideration contemporary lifestyles and environmental constraints and is compatible with the development of a sustainable diet model for present and future generations [2]. ...
The traditional Mediterranean diet refers to a dietary pattern found in olive growing areas of the Mediterranean region. It’s essential characteristic is the consumption of virgin olive oil, vegetables, fresh fruits, grains, pasta, bread, olives, pulses, nuts and seeds. Moderate amounts of fish, poultry, dairy products and eggs are consumed with small amounts of red meat and wine. Over the past few decades there has been a growing interest in the role of the Mediterranean diet in preventing the development of certain diseases, especially cardiovascular disease. Mediterranean food products are now re-evaluated for the beneficial health effects in relation to the presence of bioactive compounds. The body of science unraveling the role of bioactives such as phenolic acids, various polyphenols, flavonoids, lignans, hydroxyl-isochromans, olive oil secoiridoids, triterpene acids and triterpene alcohols, squalene, αlpha-tocopherol and many others is growing rapidly. A challenge for future research is the magnitude of the contribution of each active compound to the overall positive health effect. Strategies to preserve and disseminate the healthy Mediterranean diet should focus on: the implementation of the claim recently approved by EFSA for the level of biophenols in olive oil and the protection of LDL oxidation; technological improvements based on the increased awareness about the role of minor constituents of Mediterranean foods; products that are innovative but also traditional.
... The concepts of seasonality, of local products, of variety of colours for fruits and vegetables were introduced together with frugality, main meals, conviviality and physical activity. The Mediterranean diet (MD), based on a variety of local foods, strictly linked to the Mediterranean environment, was presented as a resource in biodiversity and nutrition toward global food security and sustainable development as well as an intangible cultural heritage to be safeguarded and enhanced (Bach-Faig et al. 2011; Dernini et al. 2012). The diversity of Mediterranean food cultures is presently at risk of extinction because of the standardization of life styles, of the loss of consciousness, meaning and appreciation. ...
... Owing to its great spontaneous and domesticated diversity, the Mediterranean region has always provided indigenous populations with an array of food species that allowed them to develop local food systems nutritionally adequate, healthy as well as attractive for the diversity of tastes, flavours and cultural appeal related to century-old traditions (FMFC 2010). Following the inscription of the Mediterranean diet in the UNESCO " s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the new revised Mediterranean pyramid aimed at better popularizing the concept, and especially its applicability for present daily lifestyle to counteract the current dramatic decline of the healthy Mediterranean diet pattern all around the Mediterranean area (Bach-Faig et al. 2011, Dernini et al. 2012). The SEMC are faced with a shocking paradox. ...
Food consumption patterns are critical for sustainability. Many issues directly or indirectly related to food con-sumption patterns should be addressed in the Mediterranean area. A sustainable food system supports food security and makes optimal use of natural and human resources. The review paper aims at highlighting the main aspects and concepts regarding Mediterranean food consumption patterns sustainability that should be taken into consideration in order to set up a region wide research and action agenda. Current Mediterranean food consumption patterns are not sustainable. Unsustainable food con-sumption patterns are putting increasing stress on Mediterranean ecosystems and social systems. Food consumption and pro-duction patterns are among the most important drivers of environmental degradation. The social and economic costs of di-et-related illnesses are straining individuals, families and national healthcare budgets. The Mediterranean diet is widely consi-dered a healthy dietary pattern and a greater adherence to it has been associated with significant nutritional and health im-provements. It has also been acknowledged for its lower environmental footprints. However, there is an ongoing decrease of adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern. Moving towards sustainable food system in the Mediterranean region means addressing systemically the consumptive demand as well as productive supply elements. Curbing the amount of food loss and waste is a tangible starting point as well as promoting the Mediterranean diet as a sustainable dietary pattern. Steps must be taken to assess the nutritional, health, economic, environmental and social sustainability of the current food consumption patterns and to develop appropriate policy guidelines and instruments.
Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) offer recommendations that help population to meet nutrient requirements. Most European FBDGs include quantitative information regarding daily and weekly consumed foods, but for occasionally consumed foods, they only recommend limiting their intake, without giving specific advice on portions. As these foods are consumed by the general population as a part of the cultural and culinary tradition of each country, it is important to establish the maximum frequency and the portions that would be acceptable to be included in a healthy eating pattern. This study outlines the methodology to include these foods in a national (Spanish) FBDG. Firstly, commonly consumed foods were selected and grouped, and portions were defined according to their nutritional value, so different foods within a group could be exchanged. Then, macronutrient profiles of occasionally consumed foods were compared to the frequently consumed food groups to determine to what extent they had a similar nutritional content. Finally, some combinations of foods, with or without the inclusion of occasionally consumed groups, were calculated. A maximum number of servings per group was defined according to their energy and nutrient content. Occasionally consumed foods can be included in a healthy diet as long as they are consumed in the small quantities as shown in this study and as long as they replace equivalent portions of other foods of frequent consumption. This new tool shows how to include occasionally consumed foods in a diet while maintaining its overall nutritional quality.
The diet of the Mediterranean basin (22 countries located within Europe, Africa, and Asia) is abundant in foods of plant origin such as legumes, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and olive oil as a main source of fat and has a low intake of saturated fat. There are a few regional differences in dietary patterns around the Mediterranean Sea but also many similarities. The diet’s origins reflect the interactions of diverse populations and civilizations over thousands of years.
Objective:
To characterize the multiple dimensions and benefits of the Mediterranean diet as a sustainable diet, in order to revitalize this intangible food heritage at the country level; and to develop a multidimensional framework - the Med Diet 4.0 - in which four sustainability benefits of the Mediterranean diet are presented in parallel: major health and nutrition benefits, low environmental impacts and richness in biodiversity, high sociocultural food values, and positive local economic returns.
Design:
A narrative review was applied at the country level to highlight the multiple sustainable benefits of the Mediterranean diet into a single multidimensional framework: the Med Diet 4.0. Setting/subjects We included studies published in English in peer-reviewed journals that contained data on the characterization of sustainable diets and of the Mediterranean diet. The methodological framework approach was finalized through a series of meetings, workshops and conferences where the framework was presented, discussed and ultimately refined.
Results:
The Med Diet 4.0 provides a conceptual multidimensional framework to characterize the Mediterranean diet as a sustainable diet model, by applying principles of sustainability to the Mediterranean diet.
Conclusions:
By providing a broader understanding of the many sustainable benefits of the Mediterranean diet, the Med Diet 4.0 can contribute to the revitalization of the Mediterranean diet by improving its current perception not only as a healthy diet but also a sustainable lifestyle model, with country-specific and culturally appropriate variations. It also takes into account the identity and diversity of food cultures and systems, expressed within the notion of the Mediterranean diet, across the Mediterranean region and in other parts of the world. Further multidisciplinary studies are needed for the assessment of the sustainability of the Mediterranean diet to include these new dimensions.
This chapter focuses on olive fruit, table olives, and olive oil bioactive constituents. Olive oil contains some minor constituents, including phenolic compounds, which contribute to the stability of the oil, antioxidant capacity, bitterness, and pungency, and have important biological properties. In addition to its health properties, phenolic compounds are important because they provide the oil with a remarkable stability to oxidation and they are related to valuable organoleptic properties. Therefore, the total phenol content and antioxidant activity are routinely measured and inter correlated in the plants in which there is an interest in building an excellence of quality or in defining Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) typicality. Olive and olive oil bioactive constituents can be divided into two categories: (1) the non-polar bioactive constituents that are found in the unsaponifiable fraction of the oil, such as squalene, tocopherols, sterols, and triterpenic compounds and (2) polar phenolic compounds usually characterized as "olive oil polyphenols," which are contained in the fraction obtained by liquid-liquid extraction or solid phase extraction. The chapter presents a synopsis of health properties attributed to olive oil and its biophenols.
The notion of the Mediterranean diet has undergone a progressive evolution over the past 60 years, from a healthy dietary pattern to a sustainable dietary pattern, in which nutrition, food, cultures, people, environment, and sustainability all interact into a new model of a sustainable diet. An overview of the historical antecedents and recent increased interest in the Mediterranean diet is presented and challenges related to how to improve the sustainability of the Mediterranean diet are identified. Despite its increasing popularity worldwide, adherence to the Mediterranean diet model is decreasing for multifactorial influences – life styles changes, food globalization, economic, and socio-cultural factors. These changes pose serious threats to the preservation and transmission of the Mediterranean diet heritage to present and future generations. Today’s challenge is to reverse such trends. A greater focus on the Mediterranean diet’s potential as a sustainable dietary pattern, instead than just on its well-documented healthy benefits, can contribute to its enhancement. More cross-disciplinary studies on environmental, economic and socio-cultural, and sustainability dimensions of the Mediterranean diet are foreseen as a critical need.
