Underrated aspects of a true Mediterranean diet: understanding traditional features for worldwide application of a “Planeterranean” diet
Abstract Over the last decades, the Mediterranean diet gained enormous scientific, social, and commercial attention due to proven positive effects on health and undeniable taste that facilitated a widespread popularity. Researchers have investigated the role of Mediterranean-type dietary patterns on...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Translational Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-024-05095-w |
| _version_ | 1797247056126935040 |
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| author | Justyna Godos Francesca Scazzina Corrado Paternò Castello Francesca Giampieri José L. Quiles Mercedes Briones Urbano Maurizio Battino Fabio Galvano Licia Iacoviello Giovanni de Gaetano Marialaura Bonaccio Giuseppe Grosso |
| author_facet | Justyna Godos Francesca Scazzina Corrado Paternò Castello Francesca Giampieri José L. Quiles Mercedes Briones Urbano Maurizio Battino Fabio Galvano Licia Iacoviello Giovanni de Gaetano Marialaura Bonaccio Giuseppe Grosso |
| author_sort | Justyna Godos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Over the last decades, the Mediterranean diet gained enormous scientific, social, and commercial attention due to proven positive effects on health and undeniable taste that facilitated a widespread popularity. Researchers have investigated the role of Mediterranean-type dietary patterns on human health all around the world, reporting consistent findings concerning its benefits. However, what does truly define the Mediterranean diet? The myriad of dietary scores synthesizes the nutritional content of a Mediterranean-type diet, but a variety of aspects are generally unexplored when studying the adherence to this dietary pattern. Among dietary factors, the main characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, such as consumption of fruit and vegetables, olive oil, and cereals should be accompanied by other underrated features, such as the following: (i) specific reference to whole-grain consumption; (ii) considering the consumption of legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices often untested when exploring the adherence to the Mediterranean diet; (iii) consumption of eggs and dairy products as common foods consumed in the Mediterranean region (irrespectively of the modern demonization of dietary fat intake). Another main feature of the Mediterranean diet includes (red) wine consumption, but more general patterns of alcohol intake are generally unmeasured, lacking specificity concerning the drinking occasion and intensity (i.e., alcohol drinking during meals). Among other underrated aspects, cooking methods are rather simple and yet extremely varied. Several underrated aspects are related to the quality of food consumed when the Mediterranean diet was first investigated: foods are locally produced, minimally processed, and preserved with more natural methods (i.e., fermentation), strongly connected with the territory with limited and controlled impact on the environment. Dietary habits are also associated with lifestyle behaviors, such as sleeping patterns, and social and cultural values, favoring commensality and frugality. In conclusion, it is rather reductive to consider the Mediterranean diet as just a pattern of food groups to be consumed decontextualized from the social and geographical background of Mediterranean culture. While the methodologies to study the Mediterranean diet have demonstrated to be useful up to date, a more holistic approach should be considered in future studies by considering the aforementioned underrated features and values to be potentially applied globally through the concept of a “Planeterranean” diet. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:52:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3f6680bef3c34ce5879286aceb5c91e1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1479-5876 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:52:37Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Translational Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-3f6680bef3c34ce5879286aceb5c91e12024-03-24T12:32:12ZengBMCJournal of Translational Medicine1479-58762024-03-0122112210.1186/s12967-024-05095-wUnderrated aspects of a true Mediterranean diet: understanding traditional features for worldwide application of a “Planeterranean” dietJustyna Godos0Francesca Scazzina1Corrado Paternò Castello2Francesca Giampieri3José L. Quiles4Mercedes Briones Urbano5Maurizio Battino6Fabio Galvano7Licia Iacoviello8Giovanni de Gaetano9Marialaura Bonaccio10Giuseppe Grosso11Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of CataniaDepartment of Food and Drug, University of ParmaBoniviri Società Benefit Certified BCorpDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Università Politecnica Delle MarcheResearch Group on Food, Nutritional Biochemistry and Health, Universidad Europea del AtlánticoResearch Group on Food, Nutritional Biochemistry and Health, Universidad Europea del AtlánticoDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Università Politecnica Delle MarcheDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of CataniaDepartment of Epidemiology and Prevention, IRCCS NeuromedDepartment of Epidemiology and Prevention, IRCCS NeuromedDepartment of Epidemiology and Prevention, IRCCS NeuromedDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of CataniaAbstract Over the last decades, the Mediterranean diet gained enormous scientific, social, and commercial attention due to proven positive effects on health and undeniable taste that facilitated a widespread popularity. Researchers have investigated the role of Mediterranean-type dietary patterns on human health all around the world, reporting consistent findings concerning its benefits. However, what does truly define the Mediterranean diet? The myriad of dietary scores synthesizes the nutritional content of a Mediterranean-type diet, but a variety of aspects are generally unexplored when studying the adherence to this dietary pattern. Among dietary factors, the main characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, such as consumption of fruit and vegetables, olive oil, and cereals should be accompanied by other underrated features, such as the following: (i) specific reference to whole-grain consumption; (ii) considering the consumption of legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices often untested when exploring the adherence to the Mediterranean diet; (iii) consumption of eggs and dairy products as common foods consumed in the Mediterranean region (irrespectively of the modern demonization of dietary fat intake). Another main feature of the Mediterranean diet includes (red) wine consumption, but more general patterns of alcohol intake are generally unmeasured, lacking specificity concerning the drinking occasion and intensity (i.e., alcohol drinking during meals). Among other underrated aspects, cooking methods are rather simple and yet extremely varied. Several underrated aspects are related to the quality of food consumed when the Mediterranean diet was first investigated: foods are locally produced, minimally processed, and preserved with more natural methods (i.e., fermentation), strongly connected with the territory with limited and controlled impact on the environment. Dietary habits are also associated with lifestyle behaviors, such as sleeping patterns, and social and cultural values, favoring commensality and frugality. In conclusion, it is rather reductive to consider the Mediterranean diet as just a pattern of food groups to be consumed decontextualized from the social and geographical background of Mediterranean culture. While the methodologies to study the Mediterranean diet have demonstrated to be useful up to date, a more holistic approach should be considered in future studies by considering the aforementioned underrated features and values to be potentially applied globally through the concept of a “Planeterranean” diet.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-024-05095-wMediterranean dietPlant-basedSustainabilityPlanetary dietGrainsSpices |
| spellingShingle | Justyna Godos Francesca Scazzina Corrado Paternò Castello Francesca Giampieri José L. Quiles Mercedes Briones Urbano Maurizio Battino Fabio Galvano Licia Iacoviello Giovanni de Gaetano Marialaura Bonaccio Giuseppe Grosso Underrated aspects of a true Mediterranean diet: understanding traditional features for worldwide application of a “Planeterranean” diet Journal of Translational Medicine Mediterranean diet Plant-based Sustainability Planetary diet Grains Spices |
| title | Underrated aspects of a true Mediterranean diet: understanding traditional features for worldwide application of a “Planeterranean” diet |
| title_full | Underrated aspects of a true Mediterranean diet: understanding traditional features for worldwide application of a “Planeterranean” diet |
| title_fullStr | Underrated aspects of a true Mediterranean diet: understanding traditional features for worldwide application of a “Planeterranean” diet |
| title_full_unstemmed | Underrated aspects of a true Mediterranean diet: understanding traditional features for worldwide application of a “Planeterranean” diet |
| title_short | Underrated aspects of a true Mediterranean diet: understanding traditional features for worldwide application of a “Planeterranean” diet |
| title_sort | underrated aspects of a true mediterranean diet understanding traditional features for worldwide application of a planeterranean diet |
| topic | Mediterranean diet Plant-based Sustainability Planetary diet Grains Spices |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-024-05095-w |
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