The Mediterranean diet
The term “Mediterranean diet” was coined by the Americans at the beginning of the 1960s. it all started at the end of the Second World War, when an American doctor called Ancel Keys realised that the population in certain poorer areas of Southern Italy showed a much lower incidence of death caused by cardiovascular diseases than compared with the population in the States.
Scientists hypothesized that this phenomenon was somehow correlated to dietary habits in the Mediterranean. There then followed a large scale epidemiological study which confirmed the original hypothesis, and which proclaimed the Mediterranean diet as the most appropriate diet for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
The secrets of the Mediterrranean diet
The Mediterranean diet is not a specific dietary programme, but rather the total sum of dietary practices followed in the Mediterranean region.
There are at least sixteen countries that look out onto the Mediterranean Sea, and their dietary habits vary from state to state, according to their culture, their ethnic traditions and religion. There are, however, certain characteristics that they all have in common:
- The consumption of large amounts of fruit, vegetables, potatoes, beans, seeds, breads and cereals.
- The use of olive oil for cooking and dressings.
- A moderate intake of fish, and only small quantities of meat.
- Small to moderate quantities of fatty cheeses and whole fat yogurt.
- The moderate use of wine, usually taken with meals.
- A diet based on local, fresh, seasonal produce.
- An active lifestyle.
Secrets ingredients
From the moment the statistics had proven that people in the Mediterranean live longer than other Europeans, scientists have been trying to identify which components of the Mediterranean diet were responsible for its remarkable benefits. Here are some of the candidates identified so far:
- Olive oil
Olive oil was the first to be examined because it is used almost exclusively in Mediterranean cooking instead of butter, margarine and other fats. Olive oil is a rich source of mono-unsaturated fats that help to protect against cardiac disease, possibly because they are a healthier alternative for the heart to the saturated fats in the diet. Olive oil is also a source of anti-oxidants such as vitamin E. However, it is important to bear in mind that olive oil is used to prepare vegetable-based dishes, tomato sauce and salads. It is also used for frying fish.
- Fruits and vegetables
It has been proven that the consumption of large quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables can have an actively protective rôle against heart disease and cancer, probably thanks to the anti-oxidants contained in these foods. Tomatoes have been the object of particular attention because they are an essential ingredient in Mediterranean cooking. Tomatoes are actually an important source of anti-oxidants. The heating process undergone during cooking, in preparing tomato sauce, for example, is also very beneficial because it increases the availability of licopene, one the principal anti-oxidants found in this fruit.
- Oily fish
It has also been found that fish, especially oily fish like sardines, are remarkably beneficial to our health.
Oily fish is a source of omega-3 poly-unsaturated fats. It appears that the complex of long-chained derivatives from these fats are particularly helpful for keeping the heart healthy, thanks to their anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory effects, which are important for proper blood circulation.
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