BACKGROUND Adherence to a Mediterranean diet may improve longevity, but relevant data are limited. METHODS We conducted a population-based, prospective investigation involving 22,043 adults in Greece who completed an extensive, validated, food-frequency questionnaire at base line. Adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet was assessed by a 10-point Mediterranean-diet scale that incorpor...

The aim of the present article is to discuss the role of the Mediterranean diet as a part of Human Culture and Intangible Cultural Heritage. Until the present, Mediterranean diet has been observed as a healthy model of medical behaviour. After its proposal as a Cultural Heritage of the Humanity at UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), Mediterranean diet is a...

BACKGROUND Recent studies have demonstrated an association between a Mediterranean-type diet and Alzheimer's risk. We assessed the association between Mediterranean-type diet adherence and Parkinson's disease (PD) status. METHODS Two hundred and fifty-seven PD participants and 198 controls completed the Willett semiquantitative questionnaire that quantifies diet during the past year. Scores w...

BACKGROUND The Mediterranean diet has been hypothesized to reduce fatality among patients with coronary heart disease. METHODS We examined the association between the degree of adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet and survival of persons with diagnosed coronary heart disease at enrollment, in a population-based prospective investigation of 1302 Greek men and women, who were followe...

BACKGROUND The epidemiological evidence supporting a causal link between Mediterranean diets and body weight is contrasting. We evaluated the effect of Mediterranean diets on body weight in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using a meta-analysis. METHODS We searched English and non-English publications in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from in...

OBJECTIVE To compare and evaluate the reliability of several indexes of adherence to the Mediterranean diet. DESIGN The ten indexes included in the analysis were: Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), Mediterranean Score (MS), Dietary Score (DS), Mediterranean-Dietary Quality Index (Med-DQI), Mediterranean Dietary Pattern adherence index (MDP), Mediterranean Adequacy Index (MAI), Mediterranean Styl...

INTRODUCTION Several studies have concluded that incidences of osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures vary across the European Union, the lowest incidence being reported in the Mediterranean area. The beneficial effect is mainly attributed to a specific eating pattern. The Mediterranean diet contain a complex array of naturally occurring bioactive molecules with antioxidant, anti-infla...

The notion of the Mediterranean diet has undergone a progressive evolution over the past 60 years, from a healthy dietary pattern to a sustainable dietary pattern, in which nutrition, food, cultures, people, environment, and sustainability all interact into a new model of a sustainable diet. An overview of the historical antecedents and recent increased interest in the Mediterranean diet is pre...

BACKGROUND Overall diet quality measurements have been suggested as a useful tool to assess diet-disease relationships. Oxidative stress has been related to the development of obesity and other chronic diseases. Furthermore, antioxidant intake is being considered as protective against cell oxidative damage and related metabolic complications. OBJECTIVE To evaluate potential associations betwe...