Mediterranean diet pyramid: a cultural model for healthy eating

Abstract

We present a food pyramid that reflects Mediterranean dietary traditions, which historically have been associated with good health. This Mediterranean diet pyramid is based on food patterns typical of Crete, much of the rest of Greece, and southern Italy in the early 1960s, where adult life expectancy was among the highest in the world and rates of coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and other diet-related chronic diseases were among the lowest. Work in the field or kitchen resulted in a lifestyle that included regular physical activity and was associated with low rates of obesity. The diet is characterized by abundant plant foods (fruit, vegetables, breads, other forms of cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts, and seeds), fresh fruit as the typical daily dessert, olive oil as the principal source of fat, dairy products (principally cheese and yogurt), and fish and poultry consumed in low to moderate amounts, zero to four eggs consumed weekly, red meat consumed in low amounts, and wine consumed in low to moderate amounts, normally with meals. This diet is low in saturated fat (< or = 7-8% of energy), with total fat ranging from < 25% to > 35% of energy throughout the region. The pyramid describes a dietary pattern that is attractive for its famous palatability as well as for its health benefits.

Targeting the Prodromal Stage of Alzheimer's Disease: Bioenergetic and Mitochondrial Opportunities

“…MeDi, opposed to the Western diet, is characterized by the abundant consumption of plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, breads, potatoes, legumes, nuts, [160,161] AD = Alzheimer's disease; mTOR = mammalian target of rapamycin; Aβ = β-amyloid; Nrf2 = nuclear response factor 2 and seeds; olive oil as the source of fat; moderate amounts of dairy, fish, poultry, and eggs; low intake of red meats; and wine during normal meals [173,174,195]. The nutrients within the MeDi influence biological mechanisms affecting vascular, antioxidant, and inflammatory pathways [175,176].…”

Genotype patterns at CLU, CR1, PICALM and APOE, cognition and Mediterranean diet: the PREDIMED-NAVARRA trial

“…The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) pattern is characterized by olive oil as the main culinary fat, high intake of plant-based, moderate-to-high consumption of fish and seafood, moderate-to-low intake of dairy products, low intake of meat or meat products and regular but moderate intake of red wine during meals (Willett et al 1995). Compelling evidence worldwide supports a benefit effect of this emerging nutritional pattern on health (Roman et al 2008).…”

Determinants of the adherence to an "a priori" defined Mediterranean dietary pattern

“…The concept of Mediterranean diet has further been referred to as the traditional dietary pattern found in the olive-growing areas around the Mediterranean (mainly Crete,Greece and southern Italy) in the late 1950s and early 1960s [2].There are variations of this type of diet in other regions of Italy, in Albany, Spain, France, Lebanon, Morocco, Portugal, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey [3].Although different regions are characterized by their own diet it can be assumed that these diets are variations of the same identity, the Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP). For example, the Italian variety has a high consumption of pasta, whereas fish consumption is relatively high in Spain.…”