History
Over millennia the people of the Mediterranean have built their own identifiable habits that bring to the table singular and differentiated cultures and landscapes. Iberians, Celts, Greeks, Romans, Barbarians and Arabs all have contributed to the ongoing “Mediterranean triad” of bread, olive oil and wine. From the Near and Middle East arrived to the Mediterranean cereals, legumes, carrots, onions, garlic, plums, peaches, cherries, apricots, apples, pears, walnuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts. From Northern Europe came beets, chicory, cabbage and asparagus, from the Far East, chickpeas, sesame seeds, cucumbers, eggplants, mustard, basil, citrus fruits and Indian millet, from Southeast Asia and Oceania came rice, rosemary, peppers, cardamom, ginger, watermelon, dates, and from the Americas came corn, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and squash. Few could imagine Mediterranean meals without these contributions. Thanks in part to these contributions, arose one of the healthiest food patterns in the world.
Modern science has shown during the second half of the twentieth century the exceptionality of the Mediterranean lifestyle and its influence on population health. The health benefits of the DM were initially described during the 1950-60’s by Dr. Ancel Keys and colleagues in the Seven Countries Study “which recounted the role of this diet on coronary health disease (1). Dietary habits in the Mediterranean area drew attention following the observation that in Mediterranean countries the incidence of coronary heart disease was significantly lower than I nother northern European countries.
He put science to the service of a millennium-old heritage; Dr. Keys scientifically confirmed that the knowledge accumulated over centuries, the lifestyle, the Mediterranean Diet was good for health, for successful aging and for increased longevity. Hippocrates, who practices this lifestyle, two thousand found hundred years before directed his efforts towards the same direction: “We must ensure than people die young as late as possible”.
However, the tracking and monitoring of the traditional Mediterranean diet pattern shows a progressive abandonment, influenced by new habits and unhealthy dietary habits, which is already having a negative impact in Mediterranean countries. Obesity is now considered the epidemic of the 21st century, especially among children, and cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death. The metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus are of large proportions among the countries of the Mediterranean basin. Avoiding the gradual abandonment of the Mediterranean Diet would have a positive impact both in terms of regressions of the diseases described as well as in the conservation of traditional agriculture and landscape and the environment.
