The Mediterranean diet. The benefits of an ancient tradition
Rather than a diet commonly understood, the so-called Mediterranean diet is a diet that is characterized as a real lifestyle. This name refers to the typical diet, even with heightened local diversity, the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea (especially Italy, Spain, Greece and southern France).
It was the American nutritionist Ancel Keys first to sense that the low incidence of mortality from cardiovascular disease in the Mediterranean region was attributed to the characteristics of food to these people, then gave birth to an epidemiological study, Seven Countries Study showed that, comparing the diets of seven different countries (Finland, Japan, Italy, Greece, United States, Holland and Yugoslavia), which shows that in countries bordering on the Mediterranean has the lowest mortality rate due to heart disease nutrition which includes the consumption of animal fats as privileging those few plants, just think that, contrary to what happens in other European paesei where they are used in abundance animal fats like butter and lard, seasonings and fried foods at the base of in our country are based on olive oil which has a high content of monounsaturated fats, which protect against heart disease, and antioxidants like vitamin E.
The Mediterranean diet ensures adequate intake of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and fiber. Consumed at least three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) which can add two small meals (known snacks) in mid-morning or mid afternoon. Contarini to popular belief, does not allow consumption of large quantities of bread and pasta rather have a more important role legumes and cereals, consumed a lot of white meat, in small quantities than red, and fish, especially blue, rich in omega 3 with vasodilator and anti-inflammatory properties. The diet also includes moderate consumption of red wine that has an antioxidant effect of the high content of flavonoids. Characteristic of the Mediterranean diet are also the unique dishes, are an example of the pasta and vegetables or pasta with meat, soups, pizza. Typically, the main meal always ends with fruit or vegetables.
The diet itself should then add the beneficial effects of an active lifestyle. High consumption of fruits, vegetables, cereals, pulses, bread, the preferential use of vegetable fats such as olive oil, moderate consumption of cheese fat, and seasonal products, local and fresh, along with other factors protection, such as exercise, avoid smoking, and a stressful lifestyle trope and of course still moderate consumption of food (the Mediterranean countries are certainly not free from threats such as obesity) may be a useful tool not only prevention of cardiovascular diseases but also diseases such as colon cancer, breast and lung.