Mediterranean food consumption patterns: low environmental impacts and significant health–nutrition benefits

Abstract

The Mediterranean dietary patterns comply better with recommended nutrient and micronutrient intakes. The Mediterranean diet (MD) was associated with reduced mortality and lower risk for metabolic chronic diseases. It has also low ecological, carbon and water footprints due to its high share of plant-based foods. In fact, the share of plant-based dietary energy is higher in the Mediterranean than in Northern Europe. The Mediterranean hotspot is a major centre of plant and crop diversity. Mediterranean people gather and consume about 2300 plant species. This review paper aims at highlighting the nutrition-health benefits of the MD and analysing the main environmental impacts of the Mediterranean food consumption patterns. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that the MD has significant health-nutrition benefits and low environmental footprints, so there is urgent need to reverse the ongoing erosion of the MD heritage and to promote it as a sustainable diets model.

Mediterranean diet: a nutrient‐packed diet and a healthy lifestyle for a sustainable world

“…Moreover, livestock consume around two‐thirds of all the land dedicated to agriculture and contribute about half of the farming‐related GHG emissions 1,37–40 . In general, the environmental impact of food systems is calculated on the basis of three indexes: carbon, water and ecological footprint 9,11,29,41 …”

“…Strong scientific evidence shows an association of the MD with a significant reduction in total mortality, mortality from cardiovascular diseases and cancers, as well as lower risks for many other diseases, which has led to promotion of this dietary pattern and dietary guidelines in countries far from its geographic origins 14,29,48–51 . Plant‐based foods represent the core of the MD and provide key nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, probiotics, dietary fiber and other protective phytonutrients (polyphenols), which contribute to overall well‐being, satiety and balanced diet 11,15,52,53 …”

“…The MD is a highly diversified heritage of different food cultures and systems, which vary from country to country in the Mediterranean basin. It is important to note that although the MD has ancient beginnings, it can serve as a healthy dietary template for people today; adherence to the diet is easy and its benefits and transferability to non‐Mediterranean regions have been proven 10–21 …”

Assessing the environmental impacts of production- and consumption-side measures in sustainable agriculture intensification in the European Union

“…Moreover, studies on the impact of European diet change commonly base their calculations on extreme diets, e.g. full vegetarian or vegan diets (Scarborough et al, 2014) or Mediterranean dietary patterns (Saez-Almendros et al, 2013;Aboussaleh et al, 2017). However, these studies often disregard transport emissions of domestically produced and imported food commodities in their analysis, and effects on trade have not been systematically assessed.…”

The Mediterranean Way a model to achieve the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

“…Therefore, dietary patterns can substantially vary in resource consumption and the subsequent impact on the environment, as well as on the health of a given population. In literature it's highlighted that the MD has significant health-nutrition benefits and low environmental footprints (Dernini & Berry, 2015;Aboussaleh et al, 2017), due to principally the consumption of more plant-derived products and less animal products ; in particular vegetables and fruits are the most important source of fibers and chemical compounds, likeflavonoids, phytosterols, vitamins, terpenes and phenols, which give protection against oxidative processes, hence reducing the incidence of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases (Del Chierico et al 2014). For these reasons, the Mediterranean diet and, more generally, the Mediterranean Way fall within the FAO definition of sustainable diets that are ''diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations.…”