Mediterranean Diet Food: Strategies to Preserve a Healthy Tradition

The traditional Mediterranean diet refers to a dietary pattern found in olive growing areas of the Mediterranean region. It’s essential characteristic is the consumption of virgin olive oil, vegetables, fresh fruits, grains, pasta, bread, olives, pulses, nuts and seeds. Moderate amounts of fish, poultry, dairy products and eggs are consumed with small amounts of red meat and wine. Over the past few decades there has been a growing interest in the role of the Mediterranean diet in preventing the development of certain diseases, especially cardiovascular disease. Mediterranean food products are now re-evaluated for the beneficial health effects in relation to the presence of bioactive compounds. The body of science unraveling the role of bioactives such as phenolic acids, various polyphenols, flavonoids, lignans, hydroxyl-isochromans, olive oil secoiridoids, triterpene acids and triterpene alcohols, squalene, αlpha-tocopherol and many others is growing rapidly. A challenge for future research is the magnitude of the contribution of each active compound to the overall positive health effect. Strategies to preserve and disseminate the healthy Mediterranean diet should focus on: the implementation of the claim recently approved by EFSA for the level of biophenols in olive oil and the protection of LDL oxidation; technological improvements based on the increased awareness about the role of minor constituents of Mediterranean foods; products that are innovative but also traditional. The Traditional Mediterranean Diet The traditional Mediterranean diet refers to dietary patterns typical of specific regions of the Mediterranean region in the early 1960s. It is characterized by an abundance of plant foods such as vegetables, fresh fruits, grains, pasta, bread, pulses, nuts and seeds, and a high level of monounsaturated fatty acids. A common feature of the Mediterranean diet is a high consumption of olives and olive oil as the primary sources of dietary fat and moderate amounts of fish, poultry, dairy products and eggs consumed along with small amounts of red meat and wine. Over the past few decades there has been a growing interest in the role of the Mediterranean diet in preventing the development of certain diseases, especially cardiovascular disease. The discovery of the cardioprotective properties of the diet is one of the great successes of epidemiology. Today there are many biochemical and other studies in the field of biosciences related to Mediterranean food products and their ingredients. These studies confirm the findings of epidemiology related to vascular health and hypertension and indicate also that a high intake of foods typical of the Mediterranean dietary pattern and a good adherence to it provides protection against coronary heart disease and may be inversely associated with the development of various types of cancer, arthritis, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. They may also be effective in improving health status and reduce mortality [1-3].Thus, the pattern has been garnering interest throughout the world and more people are interested in the health benefits it confers. Mediterranean diet pyramids The healthy traditional Mediterranean pattern has been represented by various pyramids indicating graphically the foods to be consumed on a daily basis or weekly. Mediterranean diet pyramids have been continuously re-designed and completed. The last 2010 version (Eighth International Congress on The Mediterranean Diet, Barcelona), incorporates lifestyle and cultural elements such as moderation, conviviality, seasonality and eco-friendliness. In other words, the new revised modern Mediterranean diet takes into consideration contemporary lifestyles and environmental constraints and is compatible with the development of a sustainable diet model for present and future generations [2]. Mediterranean Food Products The great progress made in the areas of natural products chemistry, food analysis, nutrition, biochemistry and other biosciences during the last two or three decades has demonstrated that some commonly encountered food constituents have hitherto unknown health promoting and disease preventive properties. Mediterranean food products are now re-evaluated for the beneficial health effects in relation to the presence of bioactive compounds. A lot of information is now available. A good example is biophenols. Phenolic compounds widely distributed in the plant kingdom and abundant in our diet are today among the most talked about classes of phytochemicals. This is indicated by the accumulated scientific work that focuses on: • Oxidation mechanisms and contribution of phenols and generally natural antioxidants in preventing free radical damage and oxidative stress • The dietary intake of phenolic compounds and its effect on lipoprotein metabolism, oxidative damage, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and blood pressure • The potential of certain phenols in oncology, chemoprevention, cell-specific cytotoxic and apoptotic effects Journal of Experimental Food Chemistry Boskou, J Exp Food Chem 2016, 1:1 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2472-0542.1000104 Review Article open access J Exp Food Chem ISSN:2472-0542 JEFC, an open access journal Volume 1 • Issue 1 • 1000104 • The clarification of molecular mechanisms accounting for the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties through gene transcription profiling • The extraction of phenols and other bioactive compounds from fruits processing residues