OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to analyse the evolution of the Spanish population's global and regional adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) since 1987. DESIGN A cross-sectional study was conducted analysing food consumption from the Spanish Household Consumption Surveys administered by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. SETTING The Mediterranean Ad...

The concept of the Mediterranean diet originated from the Seven Countries Study initiated by Ancel Keys in the 1950s. The study showed that, despite a high fat intake, the population of the island of Crete in Greece had very low rates of coronary heart disease and certain types of cancer and had a long life expectancy. The traditional dietary patterns typical of Crete, much of the rest of Greec...

Mediterranean temporary ponds (MTPs) comprise an endangered habitat with several endemic species that can be found in many countries, mainly in the Mediterranean region but are disappearing at a high rate. For designing optimal conservation and management strategies for the particular ecosystems, appropriate characterization and classification of these ponds is necessary based on the different ...

Mediterranean diets are promising sustainable food models and the organic food system may provide health and environmental benefits. Combining the two models could therefore be a favourable approach for food sustainability. The aim of this study was to draw up a comparative description of four diets differing in the level of organic foods consumption and the adherence to the Mediterranean diet,...

The reduction of diet-related diseases and the improvement of environmental sustainability represent two of the major 21st century food policy challenges. Sustainable diets could significantly contribute to achieving both of these goals, improving consumer health and reducing the environmental impact of food production and consumption. The Mediterranean diet (MD) represents an excellent example...

OBJECTIVE To examine global food demand patterns and how changing diets may stimulate demand for and trade of Mediterranean diet products. DESIGN Literature review. Trends in global and US food consumption patterns are examined and trade data are reviewed to evaluate the impact of changing diets on trade of Mediterranean diet products. Market access issues are also addressed briefly to highli...

BACKGROUND Using a food-based analysis, healthy dietary patterns in adults are more expensive than less healthy ones; studies are needed in youth. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine relationships between monetary daily diet cost, diet quality, and parental socioeconomic status. DESIGN AND METHODS Data were obtained from a representative national sample of 3534 chil...

BACKGROUND Observational cohort studies and a secondary prevention trial have shown an inverse association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular risk. We conducted a randomized trial of this diet pattern for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events. METHODS In a multicenter trial in Spain, we randomly assigned participants who were at high cardiovascular risk, ...

We studied the association of physical activity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, in total antioxidant capacity (TAC). A random sample of 1514 men and 1528 women was selected from Attica region. Physical activity was assessed with a translated version of the validated "International Physical Activity Questionnaire" (iPAQ), and dietary intake through a validated Food Frequency Questionnai...

While several investigations have focused on the association between individual foods and nutrients upon the development of chronic diseases, few have examined the role that entire dietary patterns may play in health and disease. A dietary pattern generally considered to have beneficial health effects is that of the Mediterranean diet. In this paper, five cohort studies exploring the associatio...