In the moment when recognition of the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet has become universal, its paradoxical fate is that it is at risk of being extinguished in its homeland territories. Ensuing research confirmed the benefits brought by Mediterranean-derived dietary interventions not only in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, but also in the therapeutic approach of obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer or neurodegenerative diseases. Ĭoinage of the term “Mediterranean diet” and its breakthrough to the attention of the medical public were made possible by the work of Ancel Keys, an American scientist who was the first to notice the relationship between the low incidence of cardiovascular disease in some traditional Mediterranean communities and their specific dietary habits. This unique dietary pattern, the result of a complex and multi-millennial interaction between the natural food resources available in the Mediterranean environment and the human element inhabiting the Mediterranean basin throughout history, came to acquire new valences in the last century and to become a precious medical tool in the contemporaneous world. The specific dietary dimension of the Mediterranean lifestyle consists of a plant-based cuisine using vegetables, fruits, cereals, nuts, and legumes, most of them cooked by adding substantial amounts of olive oil, with moderate usage of fish, seafood or dairy, and limited intake of meat and alcohol (mostly red wine). Traditional eating habits seen in geographical territories surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, although differentiated by some food choices and cooking practices specific to each country and culture, share a common set of basic features. While its health benefits are universally recognized today by medical professionals, the present state of the Mediterranean diet is challenged by major difficulties in implementing this protective dietary pattern in other geographical and cultural areas and keeping it alive in traditional Mediterranean territories, also tainted by the unhealthy eating habits brought by worldwide acculturation. Ensuing trials confirmed favorable influences on the risk for metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.
The first reports ascertained cardiovascular protection, as multiple large-scale clinical studies, starting with Ancel Keys’ Seven Countries Study, showed a marked reduction of atherosclerotic clinical events in populations with a Mediterranean dietary pattern. A few decades ago, the Mediterranean diet drew the attention of medical professionals by proving extended health benefits. Both have high acidity with herbaceous notes that complement most salads perfectly.The Mediterranean diet originates in the food cultures of ancient civilizations which developed around the Mediterranean Basin and is based on the regular consumption of olive oil (as the main source of added fat), plant foods (cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, tree nuts, and seeds), the moderate consumption of fish, seafood, and dairy, and low-to-moderate alcohol (mostly red wine) intake, balanced by a comparatively limited use of red meat and other meat products. When in doubt, grab Grüner Veltliner or Sauvignon Blanc.Don’t count out red wine: Higher-acid reds with herbal and floral notes, like those made from Barbera, Sangiovese, Gamay and cool-climate Pinot Noir, go well with balsamic vinaigrettes as well as salads with meat, cheese, nuts and dried fruit.Vinegar and citrus can make a lower-acid wine taste flat or sweet, but will bring out the fruit character of a higher-acid pour. Make sure the wine is more acidic than the dressing.
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