Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Mediterranean Diet

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Nutritional Health

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Abstract

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a nutritional model inspired by the traditional diets consumed, after the Second World War, within the countries surrounding the Mediterranean basin. This diet mainly emphasizes the consumption of plant-based foods (unrefined cereals, vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, and seeds), incorporates some animal-based foods (fish, dairy products, eggs, and poultry), promotes the use of olive oil as a major source of fat, includes moderate consumption of wine, and rarely includes red and processed meat, sweets, and highly processed foods. Scientifically, the original diet was described and characterized by Ancel Keys, in the Seven Countries Study, whose results were published in 1970. Since then, many other epidemiological studies have reported the significant nutritional and health benefits of the MD. This dietary pattern has been associated with many beneficial effects on health, mainly demonstrating a protective role against the development of several noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular pathologies, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and neurological diseases. The MD also promotes healthy aging and thus reduces overall mortality. Moreover, the diet generates a lower environmental impact, compared to current Western diets, and can be highly recommended for the well-being of the planet. Even though it is not always possible to adapt the MD to populations living outside the Mediterranean basin, mounting evidence shows that adherence to this or similar nutritional plans is associated with several health benefits in countries beyond this geographical area. Indeed, it is worth trying to actively encourage adherence to the major healthy principles of this traditional dietary pattern in order to offer health benefits and improve the quality of life for many populations worldwide.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Davis C, Bryan J, Hodgson J, Murphy K. Definition of the Mediterranean diet; a literature review. Nutrients. 2015;7:9139–53.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Wright CM. Biographical notes on Ancel Keys and Salim Yusuf: origins and significance of the Seven Countries Study and the INTERHEART Study. J Clin Lipidol. 2011;5:434–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Trichopoulou A, Lagiou P. Healthy traditional Mediterranean diet: an expression of culture, history, and lifestyle. Nutr Rev. 1997;55:383–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Ruiz E, Ávila J, Valero T, Del Pozo S, Rodriguez P, Aranceta-Bartrina J, et al. Macronutrient distribution and dietary sources in the spanish population: findings from the ANIBES Study. Nutrients. 2016;8:177.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Società italiana di nutrizione umana. LARN: livelli di assunzione di riferimento di nutrienti ed energia per la popolazione italiana—IV revisione. Milano: SICS; 2018.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Fats and fatty acids in human nutrition. Report of an expert consultation. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization; 2010. https://www.fao.org/3/i1953e/i1953e.pdf. Accessed 20 Apr 2021.

  7. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats, including saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and cholesterol. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (NDA). Parma: European Food Safety Authority; 2010. https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1461. Accessed 20 Apr 2021.

  8. Serra-Majem L, Tomaino L, Dernini S, Berry EM, Lairon D, Ngo de la Cruz J, et al. Updating the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid towards sustainability: focus on environmental concerns. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17:8758.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Hwangbo D-S, Lee H-Y, Abozaid LS, Min KJ. Mechanisms of lifespan regulation by calorie restriction and intermittent fasting in model organisms. Nutrients. 2020;12:1194.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Blackburn H. On the trail of heart attacks in seven countries. Duluth: University of Minnesota; 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Hertog MGL. Flavonoid intake and long-term risk of coronary heart disease and cancer in the Seven Countries Study. Arch Intern Med. 1995;155:381.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Aboul-Enein BH, Puddy WC, Bernstein J. Ancel Benjamin Keys (1904–2004): his early works and the legacy of the modern Mediterranean diet. J Med Biogr. 2020;28:139–47.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvado J, Covas MI, Corella D, Arós F, et al. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts. N Engl J Med. 2018;378:e34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Guasch-Ferre M, Salas-Salvado J, Ros E, Estruch R, Corella D, Fitó M, et al. The PREDIMED trial, Mediterranean diet and health outcomes: how strong is the evidence? Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2017;27:624–32.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Solfrizzi V, Custodero C, Lozupone M, Imbimbo BP, Valiani V, Agosti P, et al. Relationships of dietary patterns, foods, and micro- and macronutrients with Alzheimer’s disease and late-life cognitive disorders: a systematic review. J Alzheimers Dis. 2017;59:815–49.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Valls-Pedret C, Sala-Vila A, Serra-Mir M, Corella D, de la Torre R, Martínez-González MÁ, et al. Mediterranean diet and age-related cognitive decline: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175:1094–103.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Trichopoulou A, Kyrozis A, Rossi M, Katsoulis M, Trichopoulos D, La Vecchia C, et al. Mediterranean diet and cognitive decline over time in an elderly Mediterranean population. Eur J Nutr. 2015;54:1311–21.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Sofi F, Abbate R, Gensini GF, Casini A. Accruing evidence on benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on health: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;92:1189–96.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Bach A, Serra-Majem L, Carrasco JL, Roman B, Ngo J, Bertomeu I, et al. The use of indexes evaluating the adherence to the Mediterranean diet in epidemiological studies: a review. Public Health Nutr. 2006;9:132–46.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Trichopoulou A, Kouris-Blazos A, Wahlqvist ML, Gnardellis C, Lagiou P, Polychronopoulos E, et al. Diet and overall survival in elderly people. BMJ. 1995;311:1457–60.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Zaragoza-Martí A, Cabañero-Martínez M, Hurtado-Sánchez J, Laguna-Pérez A, Ferrer-Cascales R. Evaluation of Mediterranean diet adherence scores: a systematic review. BMJ Open. 2018;8:e019033.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Rosato V, Temple NJ, La Vecchia C, Castellan G, Tavani A, Guercio V. Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Eur J Nutr. 2019;58:173–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Beauchamp GK, Keast RS, Morel D, Lin J, Pika J, Han Q, et al. Phytochemistry: ibuprofen-like activity in extra-virgin olive oil. Nature. 2005;437:45–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Temple NJ, Guercio V, Tavani A. The Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease: gaps in the evidence and research challenges. Cardiol Rev. 2019;27:127–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Dinu M, Pagliai G, Angelino D, Dall’Asta M, Bresciani L, Ferraris C, et al. Effects of popular diets on anthropometric and cardiometabolic parameters: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. Adv Nutr. 2020;11:815–33.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Lacroix S, Cantin J, Nigam A. Contemporary issues regarding nutrition in cardiovascular rehabilitation. Ann Phys Rehabil Med. 2017;60:36–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Stewart RAH, Wallentin L, Benatar J, Danchin N, Hagström E, Held C, et al. Dietary patterns and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in a global study of high-risk patients with stable coronary heart disease. Eur Heart J. 2016;37:1993–2001.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Couto E, Boffetta P, Lagiou P, Ferrari P, Buckland G, Overvad K, et al. Mediterranean dietary pattern and cancer risk in the EPIC cohort. Br J Cancer. 2011;104:1493–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  29. Buckland G, Travier N, Huerta JM, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Siersema PD, Skeie G, et al. Healthy lifestyle index and risk of gastric adenocarcinoma in the EPIC cohort study. Int J Cancer. 2015;137:598–606.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Li WQ, Park Y, Wu JW, Ren JS, Goldstein AM, Taylor PR, et al. Index-based dietary patterns and risk of esophageal and gastric cancer in a large cohort study. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;11(1130–6):e2.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Castello A, Amiano P, Fernandez de Larrea N, Martín V, Alonso MH, Castaño-Vinyals G, et al. Low adherence to the western and high adherence to the mediterranean dietary patterns could prevent colorectal cancer. Eur J Nutr. 2019;58:1495–505.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Schneider L, Su LJ, Arab L, Bensen JT, Farnan L, Fontham ETH, et al. Dietary patterns based on the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet are inversely associated with high aggressive prostate cancer in PCaP. Ann Epidemiol. 2019;29(16–22):e1.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Toledo E, Salas-Salvado J, Donat-Vargas C, Donat-Vargas C, Buil-Cosiales P, Estruch R, et al. Mediterranean diet and invasive breast cancer risk among women at high cardiovascular risk in the PREDIMED Trial: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175:1752–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Ricceri F, Giraudo MT, Fasanelli F, Milanese D, Sciannameo V, Fiorini L, et al. Diet and endometrial cancer: a focus on the role of fruit and vegetable intake, Mediterranean diet and dietary inflammatory index in the endometrial cancer risk. BMC Cancer. 2017;17:757.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  35. Perez-Jimenez J, Diaz-Rubio ME, Saura-Calixto F. Contribution of macromolecular antioxidants to dietary antioxidant capacity: a study in the Spanish Mediterranean diet. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2015;70:365–70.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Esposito K, Maiorino MI, Bellastella G, Chiodini P, Panagiotakos D, Giugliano D. A journey into a Mediterranean diet and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review with meta-analyses. BMJ Open. 2015;5:e008222.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. Rossi M, Turati F, Lagiou P, Trichopoulos D, Augustin LS, La Vecchia C, et al. Mediterranean diet and glycaemic load in relation to incidence of type 2 diabetes: results from the Greek cohort of the population-based European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Diabetologia. 2013;56:2405–13.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Barbaresko J, Koch M, Schulze MB, Nöthlings U. Dietary pattern analysis and biomarkers of low-grade inflammation: a systematic literature review. Nutr Rev. 2013;71:511–27.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Esposito K, Kastorini CM, Panagiotakos DB, Giugliano D. Mediterranean diet and weight loss: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2011;9:1–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Ye EQ, Chacko SA, Chou EL, Kugizaki M, Liu S. Greater whole-grain intake is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain. J Nutr. 2012;142:1304–13.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  41. McRae MP. Dietary fiber intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus: an umbrella review of meta-analyses. J Chiropr Med. 2018;17:44–53.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  42. Riserus U, Willett WC, Hu FB. Dietary fats and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Prog Lipid Res. 2009;48:44–51.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. World Cancer Research Fund, American Institute for Cancer Research. Diet, nutrition, physical activity and cancer: a global perspective: a summary of the Third expert report. London: World Cancer Research Fund; 2018. https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Summary-of-Third-Expert-Report-2018.pdf. Accessed 25 May 2021.

  44. World Cancer Research Fund, American Institute for Cancer Research. Diet, nutrition and physical activity: energy balance and body fatness: the determinants of weight gain, overweight and obesity. London: World Cancer Research Fund; 2018. https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Energy-Balance-and-Body-Fatness.pdf. Accessed 25 May 2021.

  45. Kastorini CM, Milionis HJ, Esposito K, Giugliano D, Goudevenos JA, Panagiotakos DB. The effect of Mediterranean diet on metabolic syndrome and its components: a meta-analysis of 50 studies and 534,906 individuals. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;57:1299–313.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Roth GA, Abate D, Abate KH, Abay SM, Abbafati C, Abbasi N, et al. Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2018;392:1736–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Kaluza J, Larsson SC, Orsini N, Linden A, Wolk A. Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of COPD: a prospective cohort study of men. Thorax. 2017;72:500–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Salari-Moghaddam A, Milajerdi A, Larijani B, Esmaillzadeh A. Processed red meat intake and risk of COPD: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Clin Nutr. 2019;38:1109–16.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Garcia-Gavilan JF, Bullo M, Canudas S, Martínez-González MA, Estruch R, Giardina S, et al. Extra virgin olive oil consumption reduces the risk of osteoporotic fractures in the PREDIMED trial. Clin Nutr. 2018;37:329–35.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Melguizo-Rodriguez L, Manzano-Moreno FJ, De Luna-Bertos E, Rivas A, Ramos-Torrecillas J, Ruiz C, et al. Effect of olive oil phenolic compounds on osteoblast differentiation. Eur J Clin Investig. 2018;48

    Google Scholar 

  51. Rescigno M. The microbiota revolution: excitement and caution. Eur J Immunol. 2017;47:1406–13.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Maslowski KM, Mackay CR. Diet, gut microbiota and immune responses. Nat Immunol. 2011;12:5–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Ghosh TS, Rampelli S, Jeffery IB, Santoro A, Neto M, Capri M, et al. Mediterranean diet intervention alters the gut microbiome in older people reducing frailty and improving health status: the NU-AGE 1-year dietary intervention across five European countries. Gut. 2020;69:1218–28.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Meslier V, Laiola M, Roager HM, De Filippis F, Roume H, Quinquis B, et al. Mediterranean diet intervention in overweight and obese subjects lowers plasma cholesterol and causes changes in the gut microbiome and metabolome independently of energy intake. Gut. 2020;69:1258–68.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Chatzianagnostou K, Del Turco S, Pingitore A, Sabatino L, Vassalle C. The Mediterranean lifestyle as a non-pharmacological and natural antioxidant for healthy aging. Antioxidants. 2015;4:719–36.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  56. Knoops KT, de Groot LC, Kromhout D, Perrin AE, Moreiras-Varela O, Menotti A, et al. Mediterranean diet, lifestyle factors, and 10-year mortality in elderly European men and women: the HALE project. JAMA. 2004;292:1433–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Berendsen AAM, van de Rest O, Feskens EJM, Santoro A, Ostan R, Pietruszka B, et al. Changes in dietary intake and adherence to the NU-AGE Diet following a one-year dietary intervention among European older adults-results of the NU-AGE Randomized Trial. Nutrients. 2018;10:1905.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  58. Willett W, Rockström J, Loken B, Springmann M, Lang T, Vermeulen S, et al. Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. Lancet. 2019;393:447–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition. A one health approach to food: the Double Pyramid connecting food culture, health and climate. Parma: Barilla Center for Food Nutrition; 2021. https://www.barillacfn.com/m/publications/a-one-health-approach-to-food.pdf. Accessed 21 Apr 2021.

  60. Sanchez-Sabate R, Sabate J. Consumer attitudes towards environmental concerns of meat consumption: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16:1220.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  61. Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition. Double Pyramid 2014, 5th ed: diet and environmental impact. Parma: Barilla Center for Food Nutrition; 2014. https://www.barillacfn.com/m/publications/dp-2014-en.pdf. Accessed 21 Apr 2021.

  62. Trichopoulou A, Martinez-Gonzalez MA, Tong TY, Forouhi NG, Khandelwal S, Prabhakaran D, et al. Definitions and potential health benefits of the Mediterranean diet: views from experts around the world. BMC Med. 2014;12:112.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  63. Lee AJ, Kane S, Lewis M, Good E, Pollard CM, Landrigan TJ, et al. Healthy diets ASAP—Australian standardised affordability and pricing methods protocol. Nutr J. 2018;17:88.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  64. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 2015–2020. 8th ed. 2015. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/2015-2020_Dietary_Guidelines.pdf. Accessed 17 Apr 2021.

  65. Harvard TH. Chan School of Public Health. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource. Accessed 3 Apr 2021.

  66. Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust. Oldways web page. https://oldwayspt.org. Accessed 3 Apr 2021.

  67. Harvard TH. Chan School of Public Health. Healthy Eating Plate. 2017. http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-eating-plate. Accessed 3 Apr 2021.

  68. Bihuniak JD, Ramos A, Huedo-Medina T, Hutchins-Wiese H, Kerstetter JE, Kenny AM. Adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet and its influence on cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116:1767–75.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Mitrou PN. Mediterranean dietary pattern and prediction of all-cause mortality in a US population: results from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167:2461.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. Tangney CC, Kwasny MJ, Li H, Wilson RS, Evans DA, Morris MC. Adherence to a Mediterranean-type dietary pattern and cognitive decline in a community population. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;93:601–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  71. Rumawas ME, Meigs JB, Dwyer JT, McKeown NM, Jacques PF. Mediterranean-style dietary pattern, reduced risk of metabolic syndrome traits, and incidence in the Framingham Offspring Cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;90:1608–14.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  72. Veronese N, Stubbs B, Noale M, Solmi M, Luchini C, Maggi S. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with better quality of life: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;104:1403–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  73. Department of Health & Human Services. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Workshop. Toward testing the effects of a Mediterranean dietary pattern on cardiovascular and other diseases in the United States. 2016. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/events/2016/national-heart-lung-and-blood-institute-workshop-toward-testing-effects-mediterranean. Accessed 3 Apr 2021.

  74. Hodge AM, English DR, Itsiopoulos C, O’Dea K, Giles GG. Does a Mediterranean diet reduce the mortality risk associated with diabetes: evidence from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011;21:733–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  75. Davis CR, Hodgson JM, Woodman R, Bryan J, Wilson C, Murphy KJ. A Mediterranean diet lowers blood pressure and improves endothelial function: results from the MedLey randomized intervention trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105:1305–13.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  76. Parletta N, Zarnowiecki D, Cho J, Wilson A, Bogomolova S, Villani A, et al. A Mediterranean-style dietary intervention supplemented with fish oil improves diet quality and mental health in people with depression: a randomized controlled trial (HELFIMED). Nutr Neurosci. 2019;22:474–87.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  77. Tong TY, Wareham NJ, Khaw KT, Imamura F, Forouhi NG. Prospective association of the Mediterranean diet with cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality and its population impact in a non-Mediterranean population: the EPIC-Norfolk study. BMC Med. 2016;14:135.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  78. Stefler D, Malyutina S, Kubinova R, Pajak A, Peasey A, Pikhart H, et al. Mediterranean diet score and total and cardiovascular mortality in Eastern Europe: the HAPIEE study. Eur J Nutr. 2017;56:421–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  79. Moore SE, McEvoy CT, Prior L, Lawton J, Patterson CC, Kee F, et al. Barriers to adopting a Mediterranean diet in Northern European adults at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2018;31:451–62.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  80. Caprara G. Diet and longevity: the effects of traditional eating habits on human lifespan extension. Med J Nutrition Metab. 2018;11:261–94.

    Google Scholar 

  81. Willcox DC, Scapagnini G, Willcox BJ. Healthy aging diets other than the Mediterranean: a focus on the Okinawan diet. Mech Ageing Dev. 2014;136–7:148–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  82. Castello A, Boldo E, Perez-Gomez B, Lope V, Altzibar JM, Martín V, et al. Adherence to the Western, Prudent and Mediterranean dietary patterns and breast cancer risk: MCC-Spain study. Maturitas. 2017;103:8–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  83. Caprara G, Allavena P, Erreni M. Intestinal macrophages at the crossroad between diet, inflammation, and cancer. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21:4825.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  84. Gao X, Chen H, Fung TT, Logroscino G, Schwarzschild MA, Hu FB, et al. Prospective study of dietary pattern and risk of Parkinson disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86:1486–94.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  85. Bonaccio M, Bes-Rastrollo M, de Gaetano G, Iacoviello L. Challenges to the Mediterranean diet at a time of economic crisis. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2016;26:1057–63.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  86. Mikkelsen B, Williams J, Rakovac I, Wickramasinghe K, Hennis A, Shin HR, et al. Life course approach to prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. BMJ. 2019;364:l257.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  87. Caprara G. Mediterranean-type dietary pattern and physical activity: the winning combination to counteract the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Nutrients. 2021;13:429.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy

    Greta Caprara

Authors
  1. Greta Caprara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Greta Caprara .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Science, Athabasca University, Athabasca, AB, Canada

    Norman J. Temple

  2. Department of Biology, Winona State University, Winona, MN, USA

    Ted Wilson

  3. Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, MINNEAPOLIS, MN, USA

    David R. Jacobs, Jr.

  4. Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    George A. Bray

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Caprara, G. (2023). The Mediterranean Diet. In: Temple, N.J., Wilson, T., Jacobs, Jr., D.R., Bray, G.A. (eds) Nutritional Health. Nutrition and Health. Humana, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24663-0_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24663-0_16

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-24662-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-24663-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation