The Mediterranean diet

The notion of Mediterranean diet was introduced in the 1950s, when the American nutritionist Ancel Keys observed how the population of the Mediterranean basin had a higher longevity and at the same time a lower predisposition towards various pathologies compared to the inhabitants of the United States. From this observation, consolidated by the Seven Countries Study, the modern conception of the Mediterranean diet was born as a diet characterized by a variety of ingredients capable of increasing the well-being of the populations that follow it.

     Diet is a term that indicates a generic set of foods that an individual should take to promote the functions of organs and tissues or a specific diet to follow to defeat excess weight. In reality, the Mediterranean diet is much more: a lifestyle and a set of customs that characterize the tradition of the Mediterranean geographical area. In recent years it has become an integral part of modern living; not surprisingly, UNESCO has decreed the importance of this nutritional model with the recognition of the Mediterranean diet as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

     The Mediterranean diet makes use of simple foods, with good digestibility and with beneficial effects ascertained by the scientific community. In the foreground is the consumption of traditional foods from the countries along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea; these include cereals, 50% wholemeal, olive oil, fruit and vegetables. To these are added the consumption of fish, white meat, eggs, legumes, wine and sweets. The foods that the diet proposes have a large amount of complex carbohydrates, useful for energy purposes; they also have a high content of antioxidants and vitamins, precious allies in the prevention of serious pathologies. Fish such as anchovies and sardines contain omega-3, fats with important properties: they optimize heart function and are therefore useful in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

     The nutrients that make up olive oil, fruit and vegetables have a significant antioxidant effect, capable of acting positively in the prevention of some types of cancer and other pathologies related to the nervous system, including Alzheimer's. The Mediterranean diet is also able to prevent and combat overweight and obesity, as well as lowering the level of bad cholesterol, reducing the risks associated with cardiovascular diseases.

     A recent study by the University of Padua has established that the diet has decidedly positive effects on the quality of life of those who follow it, capable of positively influencing even the psychic sphere. Thousands of people who followed the Mediterranean diet were monitored in the study. The results highlight the positive effects of the nutrients included in the Mediterranean model, including fibres, antioxidants and proteins, which act on mood states by counteracting pathologies such as depression. The depressive symptoms among the patients who had followed the regimen had decreased by approximately 30%: the consumption of fruit, vegetables, cereals, legumes and wine therefore significantly contributed to the improvement of the well-being of the people who had undergone the regimen Mediterranean.

     To fully enjoy the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, it is in any case necessary to adopt a lifestyle that includes quality food products, as well as continuous sporting practice over time.