Open AccessHealthy Traditional Mediterranean Diet: An Expression of Culture, History, and Lifestyle
Author(s) -
Trichopoulou Antonia,
Lagiou Pagona
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
nutrition reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.958
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1753-4887
pISSN - 0029-6643
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-4887.1997.tb01578.x
Subject(s) - mediterranean diet , mediterranean climate , wine , consumption (sociology) , coronary heart disease , food science , biology , olive oil , environmental health , medicine , ecology , social science , sociology
The term Mediterranean diet refers to dietary patterns found in olive‐growing areas of the Mediterranean region and described in the 1960s and beyond. There are several variants of the Mediterranean diet, but some common components can be identified: high monounsaturated/saturated fat ratio; ethanol consumption at moderate levels and mainly in the form of wine; high consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains; moderate consumption of milk and dairy products, mostly in the form of cheese; and low consumption of meat and meat products. Growing evidence demonstrates that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial to health; the evidence is stronger for coronary heart disease, but it also applies to some forms of cancer. Results from recent investigations provide a strong biomedical foundation for the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet.