The term "Mediterranean Diet" refers to the dietary pattern that prevailed in the Mediterranean regions, particularly Greece and Southern Italy in the early 1960s. During this time period, residents of these regions had one of the highest life expectancy rates life expectancy, while the morbidity from some diseases was among the lowest worldwide, despite the limited access and availability of medical care. The cultivation of the olive tree was the main feature of these regions and olive oil was a key component of the diet of their inhabitants.
Even today, the Mediterranean dietary pattern has been consistently associated with a reduced risk of developing and better management of non-communicable diseases, which are the leading causes of death worldwide. In the category of these diseases, cardiovascular disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome, cancer and type 2 diabetes are included. Also, studies show that the adoption of the Mediterranean diet seems to improve metabolic factors such as waist circumference and body weight, blood pressure, glucose and lipid profile while also leading to better cognitive function.
The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high consumption of olive oil and plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and unrefined grains. Also, in this dietary pattern there is a moderate intake of dairy products, fish and poultry, a moderate intake of alcohol and a low intake of red meat.
Consequently, it is a dietary pattern with a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids (ie "good fats" ), rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components and high in fiber. These reasons may lie behind the beneficial role of the Mediterranean diet in health, in the prevention but also in the treatment of the aforementioned complex and chronic diseases.
However, nowadays, a large part of our country's population has moved away from the Mediterranean diet pattern, with the young population showing the biggest differences. The western lifestyle has even affected our eating habits. And while this is happening, abroad, and especially in the northern countries, there is an attempt to adhere to the Mediterranean diet. So has it come time, knowing all the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and benefiting from our place of residence, that we try to restore measure and quality to our diet, taking an example from our ancestors?