Mediterranean diet
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2008-07-17T02:13:58Z
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{{about|the dietary recommendation that became popular in the 1990s|food of the areas around the [[Mediterranean Sea]]|Cuisine of the Mediterranean}}
The '''Mediterranean diet''' is a modern<ref>Alberto Capatti ''et al.'', ''Italian Cuisine: A Cultural History'', p. 106.; Silvano Serventi and Francoise Sabban, ''Pasta'', p. 162.</ref> nutritional recommendation inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of some of the countries of the [[Mediterranean Basin]]. The most commonly-understood version of the Mediterranean diet was presented by Dr. [[Walter Willett]] of [[Harvard University]]'s [[Harvard School of Public Health|School of Public Health]] in the mid-1990s.<ref name="
<!-- MARIAN BURROS . Eating Well. New York Times. 2008-04-07. URL:http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEFD81438F93AA15750C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all. Accessed: 2008-04-07. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5WuCqjqyn)
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{{cite news
| last=Burros
| first = Marian
| author-link=Marian Burros
|title=Eating Well
|newspaper=[[New York Times]]
|year=1995
|date= 29 March 1995
|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEFD81438F93AA15750C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
}}[http://www.webcitation.org/5WuCqjqyn Archived by Webcite]
</ref>
Based on "food patterns typical of Crete, much of the rest of Greece, and southern Italy in the early 1960s", this diet, in addition to "regular physical activity" (e.g., farm labor), emphasizes "abundant plant foods, 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". Total fat in this diet is 25% to 35% of calories, with saturated fat at 8% or less of calories.<ref name="Willett_Defines_Med_Diet">
<!-- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 61, 1402S-1406S, Copyright © 1995 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc , at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7754995 or http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/61/6/1402S-->
{{cite journal
| authorlink = WC Willett
| title = Mediterranean diet pyramid: a cultural model for healthy eating
| journal = American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
| volume = 61
| pages = 1402S–1406S
| date = June 1995
| url = http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/61/6/1402S
| pmid = 7754995}}
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7754995 Archived by pubmed]
</ref>
The diet is often cited as beneficial for being low in [[saturated fat]] and high in [[monounsaturated fat]] and [[dietary fiber]].{{Fact|date=April 2008}}<!-- Cited by whom? Is it low in sat fat? (citation needed). Is it high in monounsat. fat? (citation needed. Is it high in fiber? (citation needed). Do we need a citation to support the assertion that the diet is often cited for these things? -->
Although it was first publicized in 1945 by the [[U.S.A.|American]] doctor [[Ancel Keys]] stationed in [[Salerno]], [[Italy]], the Mediterranean diet failed to gain widespread recognition until the 1990s. It is based on what from the point of view of mainstream [[nutrition]] is considered a paradox: that although the people living in Mediterranean countries tend to consume relatively high amounts of fat, they have far lower rates of [[cardiovascular disease]] than in countries like the [[United States]], where similar levels of fat consumption are found. A parallel phenomenon is known as the [[French Paradox]].<ref name="Paradoxes">Bruno Simini, "Serge Renaud: from French paradox to Cretan miracle" ''The Lancet'' '''355''':9197:48 (1 January 2000) [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T1B-4FV5JRM-5J&_user=521319&_coverDate=01%2F01%2F2000&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000026018&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=521319&md5=b36c10828f270bea29b2f203951df232 at Science Direct (subscription)]</ref>
One of the main explanations is thought to be the large amount of [[olive oil]] used in the Mediterranean diet. Unlike the high amount of [[animal fat]]s typical to the American diet, olive oil lowers cholesterol levels in the blood.<ref name="BestOliveOil">[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070811224755.htm Mayo Clinic. "Olive Oil: Which Type Is Best?." ScienceDaily 14 August 2007. 19 November 2007]</ref> It is also known to lower [[blood sugar]] levels and blood pressure.<ref name="peanut">[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/11/991123075411.htm American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition. "The "Peanut Butter Diet": Heart-Healthy Alternative To Olive Oil." ScienceDaily 23 November 1999. 19 November 2007]</ref> Research indicates olive oil prevents peptic ulcers and is effective in treatment of peptic ulcer disease,<ref name="OliveUlcer>[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070212101701.htm American Chemical Society. "New Potential Health Benefit Of Olive Oil For Peptic Ulcer Disease." ScienceDaily 14 February 2007. 19 November 2007]</ref> and may be a factor in preventing cancer.<ref name="OliveCancer">[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061211221122.htm Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. "New Year's Resolution No. 1: Prevent Cancer, Use Olive Oil." ScienceDaily 12 December 2006. 19 November 2007]</ref>
In addition, the consumption of red wine is considered a possible factor, as it contains [[flavonoid]]s with powerful [[antioxidant]] properties<ref>[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030082146.htm Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. "Chemical In Red Wine, Fruits And Vegetables May Stop Cancer, Heart Disease, Depending On The Dose." ScienceDaily 1 November 2007. 19 November 2007]</ref>.
The principal aspects of this diet include high olive oil consumption, high consumption of [[legumes]], high consumption of unrefined cereals, high consumption of fruits, high consumption of vegetables, moderate consumption of [[dairy products]] (mostly as cheese and yogurt), moderate to high consumption of fish, low consumption of meat and meat products, and moderate wine consumption<ref>"Get your Meds: the Mediterranean Diet and Health", Ellen Gooch, Epikouria Magazine, Fall 2005 </ref>.
Michael Pollan suggests the explanation is not any particular nutrient, but the combination of nutrients found in unprocessed food.<ref>''In Defense of Food'', Penguin, 2008 <!-- pageref?? --></ref>
Dietary factors may be only part of the reason for the health benefits enjoyed by these cultures. [[Genetics]], lifestyle (notably heavy physical labor), and environment may also be involved.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} <!-- citation needed for assertion that *Genetics and *environment are implicated. Heavy physical labor -- Willett citation. -->
Although [[green vegetables]], a good source of calcium and iron, as well as [[goat cheese]], a good source of calcium, are common in the Mediterranean diet, concerns remain whether the diet provides adequate amounts of all [[nutrients]], particularly [[calcium]] and [[iron]].{{Fact|date=April 2008}}<!-- who is concerned about these nutrients? Why? What is published about this concern or controversy? -->
This diet is not typical of all [[Mediterranean cuisine]]. In central Italy, for instance, [[lard]] and [[butter]] are commonly used in cooking, and olive oil is reserved for dressing salads and cooked vegetables.<ref>Massimo Alberini, Giorgio Mistretta, Guida all'Italia gastronomica, Touring Club Italiano, 1984</ref> In North Africa, wine was traditionally not consumed by Muslims. In both [[North Africa]] and the [[Levantine cuisine|Levant]], along with olive oil, sheep's tail fat and rendered butter ([[ghee|''samna'']]) are traditional staple fats.<ref>Sami Zubaida and Richard Tapper, ''A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East'', London and New York, 1994 and 2000, ISBN 1-86064-603-4.</ref>
==Medical research==
The Seven Countries Study<ref>{{cite journal |author= |title=Coronary heart disease in seven countries |journal=Circulation |volume=41 |issue=4 Suppl |pages=I1–211 |year=1970 |month=April |pmid=5442782 }}</ref> found that Cretan men had exceptionally low death rates from heart disease, despite moderate to high intake of fat. The Cretan diet is similar to other traditional Mediterranean diets: consisting mostly of olive oil, bread, abundant fruit and vegetables, fish, and a moderate amount of dairy foods and wine.
The Lyon Diet Heart Study<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4655 |title=Lyon Diet Heart Study}}</ref> set out to mimic the Cretan diet, but adopted a pragmatic approach. Realizing that some of the people in the study (all of whom had survived a first heart attack) would be reluctant to move from butter to olive oil, they used a margarine based on rapeseed (canola) oil. The dietary change also included 20% increases in vitamin C rich fruit and bread and decreases in processed and red meat. On this diet, mortality from all causes was reduced by 70%. This study was so successful that the ethics committee decided to stop the study prematurely so that the results of the study could be made available to the public immediately.<ref name="refname1">{{cite journal | author=de Lorgeril M, Salen P, Martin JL, Monjaud I, Delaye J, Mamelle N. | title=Mediterranean diet, traditional risk factors, and the rate of cardiovascular complications after myocardial infarction: final report of the Lyon Diet Heart Study | journal=Circulation | year=1999 | volume=99 | issue=6 | pages=779–85 | pmid=9989963}}</ref>
According to a study published in the British Medical Journal ([[May 29]], 2008), the traditional Mediterranean diet provides substantial protection against [[type 2 diabetes]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Martínez-González MA, de la Fuente-Arrillaga C, Nunez-Cordoba JM, Basterra-Gortari FJ, Beunza JJ, Vazquez Z, Benito S, Tortosa A, Bes-Rastrollo M |title=Adherence to Mediterranean diet and risk of developing diabetes: prospective cohort study |journal=BMJ |year=2008 |date=May 29 |pmid=18511765 |doi=10.1136/bmj.39561.501007.BE |volume=336 |pages=1348 |unused_data=|PubMed - in process}}</ref> The study involved over 13 000 graduates from the [[University of Navarra]] in [[Spain]] with no history of diabetes, who were recruited between December 1999 and November 2007, and whose dietary habits and health were subsequently tracked. Participants initially completed a 136-item food frequency questionnaire designed to measure the entire diet. The questionnaire also included questions on the use of fats and oils, cooking methods and dietary supplements. Every two years participants were sent follow-up questionnaires on diet, lifestyle, risk factors, and medical conditions. New cases of diabetes were confirmed through medical reports. During the follow-up period (median 4.4 years) the researchers from the University of Navarra found that participants who stuck closely to the diet had a lower risk of diabetes. A high adherence to the diet was associated with an 83% relative reduction in the risk of developing diabetes.<ref>[http://newswise.com/articles/view/541183/ The Traditional Mediterranean Diet Protects Against Diabetes] Newswise, Retrieved on July 2, 2008.</ref>
==References==
<references/>
* Martin Bruegel, "Alimentary identities, nutritional advice, and the uses of history" [http://www.ivry.inra.fr/corela/wp/Bruegel0411.pdf]
<!-- need to mention Rockefeller study of Crete (Simini citation above?) -->
== See also ==
<!-- More on Mediterranean Diet -->
* [[Mediterranean Diet Foundation]]
<!-- Other dietary findings that have recently surprised Western researchers -->
* [[French Paradox]]
<!-- Cuisines of the Mediterranean -->
* [[Cuisine of the Mediterranean]]
== External links ==
* [http://www.eufic.org/article/en/page/FTARCHIVE/artid/mediterranean-diet/ Secrets of the Mediterranean Diet], European Food Information Council
* [http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4644 American Heart Association recommendations for the Mediterranean diet]
* [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/04/050425111008.htm Mediterranean Diet Leads To Longer Life], ''Science Daily'' ([http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/330/7498/991 full paper] at the British Medical Journal)
*[http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-05/bsj-mdh051107.php Mediterranean diet halves risk of progressive lung disease] EurekAlert May 14, 2007
*[http://oldwayspt.org/med_pyramid.html The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid], Oldways
*[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080115170113.htm Mediterranean Diet In Pregnancy Helps Ward Off Childhood Asthma And Allergy], ScienceDaily.com Jan 16, 2008
*[http://www.coralliving.com/articles/20080130_5 "Staying True to His Heart (And Yours)"], Coral Living magazine
[[Category:Diets]]
[[Category:Semi-vegetarianism]]
[[ca:Dieta mediterrània]]
[[de:Kreta-Diät]]
[[el:Μεσογειακή διατροφή]]
[[es:Dieta mediterránea]]
[[fr:Régime méditerranéen]]
[[it:Dieta mediterranea]]
[[zh:地中海式饮食]]