The Mediterranean Diet Makes You Healthier
It’s long been considered the healthiest diet in the world. Here are some sound reasons why you should eat like Italians do. The Mediterranean diet lets you live healthier and longer. In recent decades, many studies have examined the eating habits in countries bordering around the Mediterranean Sea, including Italy. Their conclusions are unequivocal. “Unlike other food regimens, the Mediterranean diet, along with physical activity, has been proven to be a powerful weapon in preventing many diseases, including cancers. Its value comes from the foods typically consumed, like vegetables, fruit, whole-grain cereals, legumes, fish, extra-virgin olive oil and much more,” explained Luigi Ricciardiello, researcher at the Italian Foundation for Cancer Research (AIRC) and an associate professor of gastroenterology at the University of Bologna’s Department of Medicine and Surgery. “These foods are full of substances that, when ingested regularly, work together to create a protective effect on the body,” he observed. “In a study funded by the AIRC, experimental models showed that the combination of ingredients in the Mediterranean diet – including fruit, fish, walnuts, tomatoes, whole grains and extra-virgin olive oil – when consistently eaten over time, have a combined effect on some important mechanisms related to cancer development, such as inflammation. Also, a perfect balance between meals that always include a healthy small breakfast, a lunch with complex carbohydrates, and a lighter dinner. Snacks, often made of fresh fruit or dried fruit, are also a characteristic of the Mediterranean diet.”
Protection from tumorsOne of the typical foods in the Mediterranean diet is fish. “Omega-3 fatty acids, especially the eicosapentaenoic acid in fatty fish (sardines, mackerel, anchovies, herring, etc.) have a powerful effect in preventing colon cancer because of their excellent anti-inflammatory action. In a study we conducted, we showed that a supplement of this type of essential fatty acid reduces inflammation and a whole series of mechanisms related to the development of cancer that can strike the colon,” Ricciardiello noted.
Good for the gut“The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that emphasizes fruits and vegetables rich in prebiotic substances, such as apples, garlic, onions, artichokes, chicory, etc. Prebiotics feed our intestinal microbiota, the communities of ‘good’ bacteria that populate the intestine. Many studies have shown that having healthy bacterial flora reduces the risk of various disorders of the intestine and offers some protection from tumors.” You can use a VPN in such scenarios to get the hacks and ingredients and boost your awareness about food too.
Eating for a healthy heart.
“One of the primary features of the Mediterranean diet is its low level of saturated fats (from red meat, butter, lard, etc.) and a wealth of unsaturated fats (from extra-virgin olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, etc.). Unsaturated fats are often associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome and its attendant obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and high blood pressure, all of which encourage the onset of cardiovascular diseases, some of them fatal, like heart attack, ischemic attacks and strokes,” the expert concluded.
A cuisine appreciated for its nutritional qualities, but also healthy and eco-sustainable - as the "Mediterranean diet" can be - is the ideal meeting point between the need to eat well and the need to remain in good physical condition, preventing, where possible, diseases. The theme of food health passes through the demonstration that the foods that compose it are not only tasty (and therefore appreciated by everyone), but also healthy and healthy. It's not just a matter of gastronomy. Now it is also a proven and documented scientific fact. After Expo, a thoughtful reflection on food and health is necessary. A cuisine appreciated for its nutritional qualities, but also healthy and eco-sustainable - as the "Mediterranean diet" can be - is the ideal meeting point between the need to eat well and the need to remain in good physical condition, preventing, where possible, diseases. The theme of food health passes through the demonstration that the foods that compose it are not only tasty (and therefore appreciated by everyone), but also healthy and healthy. It is not a mere astronomical question. Now it is also a proven and documented scientific fact. According to doctors, it represents the ideal dietary model, because it is rich in fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and olive oil, fish and eggs, also includes the intake of dried fruit and yogurt, uses moderate amounts of meat (preferably white) and cheese, but is low in simple sugars and saturated fats of animal origin. It is no coincidence that in 2010 UNESCO inscribed it on the list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, recognizing the gastronomic specificity of this type of traditional diet in Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Morocco. For some time now, epidemiological studies have shown that this diet seems to have a protective action against cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, so that, by improving the quality of life, the average age of people living around the Mediterranean basin is consequently lengthened. Only recently, however, a study published in the authoritative medical journal British Medical Journal has been able, for the first time, to demonstrate the scientific reasons for this empirical epidemiological data.
A group of U.S. researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, under the guidance of Professor Immacolata De Vivo, conducted a study on almost five thousand healthy women, followed for years with questionnaires repeated over time that recorded their eating habits and style of life. The analysis of their DNA showed that those who habitually followed a Mediterranean diet possessed specific predictive factors to be able to live longer than those who did not adhere to this diet. To ensure the greatest longevity would be the The link between these nutritional habits and the increased length of "telomeres", segments of our chromosomes that play a fundamental role in regulating the processes of aging and represent a reliable indicator of an individual's life expectancy. As the years go by, telomeres become more They progressively shorten, like a kind of "biological hourglass": slower in healthy, young people, faster in people sick and elderly. Telomeres more coRTI are associated with a lower life expectancy and an increased risk of age-related diseases, in particular degenerative diseases (tumors, dementia, atherosclerosis).
Telomere length is therefore a reliable predictive index directly related to lifespan. Many factors - environmental pollution, cigarette smoking, oxidative stress, inflammation, obesity - accelerate telomere shortening (thus reducing the of life), while others - including the Mediterranean diet - act by slowing down the process of decreasing their length (thereby increasing their life expectancy). The results of the U.S. study showed that women who habitually followed this dietary pattern had invariably longer telomeres than those who resorted to to other gastronomic regimes. Probably the most important protective factor of the Mediterranean diet lies in the great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power linked to the high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid, phytosterols, phenolic compounds) present in fresh fruit, vegetables, in fish, olive oil and nuts which are nutritional elements habitual in this type of diet. Tasty, healthy and natural food therefore determine not only appreciable gastronomic results, but also real health benefits of our genes. According to another published research in the specialized magazine Open Hearth, to maintain a "healthy weight" counteracting obesity and avoiding problems with important organs (especially the heart, but also brain, kidneys and liver), it is useless to count the calories consumed at every meal.
It is more important to adopt a healthy lifestyle: exercise (at least thirty minutes of moderate physical activity in 24 hours), but in particular health foods, as the same scholars reiterate - those of the Mediterranean diet. In particular, a tablespoon every day olive oil, a few nuts and seasonal fruit. So far the biological aspect of the health benefits induced by the Mediterranean diet. In addition to this factor, however, there is another component that is no less important - although less easily quantifiable objectively - that can determine a good quality of life in individuals who benefit from these habits nutritional: the cultural dimension, which manifests itself through conviviality. It expresses not only a certain type of gastronomic approach in the kitchen, but also a peculiar lifestyle on the table. The very meaning of the Word adequately expresses this existential characteristic: "convivio" From the Latin vivere, to live together. The term suggests a two fold and overlapping interpretation: the identity between the act of eating and that of living (food is life) and the social interaction that arises from "eating together" (the communal meals of family life, banquets - called boarding schools - traditional festivals, convivial moments to foster dialogue between different people and populations). Also sharing of food with those who do not have enough or suffer from hunger is a dimension no less important than this conviviality. This is how a style is born of a "healthy" lifestyle in terms of food, but also from the point of view of social and ethical. In recent years, however, globalisation, which has has affected increasingly, trade and cultural relations, also profoundly influences culinary habits and food tastes. Often just for fashion we prefer to our traditional "local cuisine" the most exotic and fascinating "ethnic cuisine". These possible New nutritional habits: how they can affect our lives And what about our health? The relationship between health and food is becoming more and more direct. Today, modern knowledge about the nutritional value of foods and the factors are the basis for the prevention of many diseases. Change is possible, but only true gastronomic awareness helps everyone to use their own culinary traditions by integrating them with new ones learned, without health risks. A proper food culture can Therefore, to allow us to eat well, appreciating the gastronomic characteristics of food, but, at the same time, also to eat healthy, maintaining and improving our health. The Mediterranean diet seems to be able to reconcile these needs in the best possible way, also combining, together with health, economy and ecology. This is an important message, after Expo 2015, if we want to try to reconcile the search for an efficient food energy for life with the need to feed the planet in a culinaryly sustainable way.
It’s long been considered the healthiest diet in the world. Here are some sound reasons why you should eat like Italians do. The Mediterranean diet lets you live healthier and longer. In recent decades, many studies have examined the eating habits in countries bordering around the Mediterranean Sea, including Italy. Their conclusions are unequivocal. “Unlike other food regimens, the Mediterranean diet, along with physical activity, has been proven to be a powerful weapon in preventing many diseases, including cancers. Its value comes from the foods typically consumed, like vegetables, fruit, whole-grain cereals, legumes, fish, extra-virgin olive oil and much more,” explained Luigi Ricciardiello, researcher at the Italian Foundation for Cancer Research (AIRC) and an associate professor of gastroenterology at the University of Bologna’s Department of Medicine and Surgery. “These foods are full of substances that, when ingested regularly, work together to create a protective effect on the body,” he observed. “In a study funded by the AIRC, experimental models showed that the combination of ingredients in the Mediterranean diet – including fruit, fish, walnuts, tomatoes, whole grains and extra-virgin olive oil – when consistently eaten over time, have a combined effect on some important mechanisms related to cancer development, such as inflammation. Also, a perfect balance between meals that always include a healthy small breakfast, a lunch with complex carbohydrates, and a lighter dinner. Snacks, often made of fresh fruit or dried fruit, are also a characteristic of the Mediterranean diet.”
Protection from tumors
One of the typical foods in the Mediterranean diet is fish. “Omega-3 fatty acids, especially the eicosapentaenoic acid in fatty fish (sardines, mackerel, anchovies, herring, etc.) have a powerful effect in preventing colon cancer because of their excellent anti-inflammatory action. In a study we conducted, we showed that a supplement of this type of essential fatty acid reduces inflammation and a whole series of mechanisms related to the development of cancer that can strike the colon,” Ricciardiello noted.
Good for the gut
“The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating that emphasizes fruits and vegetables rich in prebiotic substances, such as apples, garlic, onions, artichokes, chicory, etc. Prebiotics feed our intestinal microbiota, the communities of ‘good’ bacteria that populate the intestine. Many studies have shown that having healthy bacterial flora reduces the risk of various disorders of the intestine and offers some protection from tumors.” You can use a VPN in such scenarios to get the hacks and ingredients and boost your awareness about food too.
Eating for a healthy heart.
“One of the primary features of the Mediterranean diet is its low level of saturated fats (from red meat, butter, lard, etc.) and a wealth of unsaturated fats (from extra-virgin olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, etc.). Unsaturated fats are often associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome and its attendant obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and high blood pressure, all of which encourage the onset of cardiovascular diseases, some of them fatal, like heart attack, ischemic attacks and strokes,” the expert concluded.
A cuisine appreciated for its nutritional qualities, but also healthy and eco-sustainable - as the "Mediterranean diet" can be - is the ideal meeting point between the need to eat well and the need to remain in good physical condition, preventing, where possible, diseases. The theme of food health passes through the demonstration that the foods that compose it are not only tasty (and therefore appreciated by everyone), but also healthy and healthy. It's not just a matter of gastronomy. Now it is also a proven and documented scientific fact. After Expo, a thoughtful reflection on food and health is necessary. A cuisine appreciated for its nutritional qualities, but also healthy and eco-sustainable - as the "Mediterranean diet" can be - is the ideal meeting point between the need to eat well and the need to remain in good physical condition, preventing, where possible, diseases. The theme of food health passes through the demonstration that the foods that compose it are not only tasty (and therefore appreciated by everyone), but also healthy and healthy. It is not a mere astronomical question. Now it is also a proven and documented scientific fact. According to doctors, it represents the ideal dietary model, because it is rich in fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and olive oil, fish and eggs, also includes the intake of dried fruit and yogurt, uses moderate amounts of meat (preferably white) and cheese, but is low in simple sugars and saturated fats of animal origin. It is no coincidence that in 2010 UNESCO inscribed it on the list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, recognizing the gastronomic specificity of this type of traditional diet in Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Morocco. For some time now, epidemiological studies have shown that this diet seems to have a protective action against cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, so that, by improving the quality of life, the average age of people living around the Mediterranean basin is consequently lengthened. Only recently, however, a study published in the authoritative medical journal British Medical Journal has been able, for the first time, to demonstrate the scientific reasons for this empirical epidemiological data.
A group of U.S. researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, under the guidance of Professor Immacolata De Vivo, conducted a study on almost five thousand healthy women, followed for years with questionnaires repeated over time that recorded their eating habits and style of life. The analysis of their DNA showed that those who habitually followed a Mediterranean diet possessed specific predictive factors to be able to live longer than those who did not adhere to this diet. To ensure the greatest longevity would be the The link between these nutritional habits and the increased length of "telomeres", segments of our chromosomes that play a fundamental role in regulating the processes of aging and represent a reliable indicator of an individual's life expectancy. As the years go by, telomeres become more They progressively shorten, like a kind of "biological hourglass": slower in healthy, young people, faster in people sick and elderly. Telomeres more coRTI are associated with a lower life expectancy and an increased risk of age-related diseases, in particular degenerative diseases (tumors, dementia, atherosclerosis).
Telomere length is therefore a reliable predictive index directly related to lifespan. Many factors - environmental pollution, cigarette smoking, oxidative stress, inflammation, obesity - accelerate telomere shortening (thus reducing the of life), while others - including the Mediterranean diet - act by slowing down the process of decreasing their length (thereby increasing their life expectancy). The results of the U.S. study showed that women who habitually followed this dietary pattern had invariably longer telomeres than those who resorted to to other gastronomic regimes. Probably the most important protective factor of the Mediterranean diet lies in the great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power linked to the high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid, phytosterols, phenolic compounds) present in fresh fruit, vegetables, in fish, olive oil and nuts which are nutritional elements habitual in this type of diet. Tasty, healthy and natural food therefore determine not only appreciable gastronomic results, but also real health benefits of our genes. According to another published research in the specialized magazine Open Hearth, to maintain a "healthy weight" counteracting obesity and avoiding problems with important organs (especially the heart, but also brain, kidneys and liver), it is useless to count the calories consumed at every meal.
It is more important to adopt a healthy lifestyle: exercise (at least thirty minutes of moderate physical activity in 24 hours), but in particular health foods, as the same scholars reiterate - those of the Mediterranean diet. In particular, a tablespoon every day olive oil, a few nuts and seasonal fruit. So far the biological aspect of the health benefits induced by the Mediterranean diet. In addition to this factor, however, there is another component that is no less important - although less easily quantifiable objectively - that can determine a good quality of life in individuals who benefit from these habits nutritional: the cultural dimension, which manifests itself through conviviality. It expresses not only a certain type of gastronomic approach in the kitchen, but also a peculiar lifestyle on the table. The very meaning of the Word adequately expresses this existential characteristic: "convivio" From the Latin vivere, to live together. The term suggests a two fold and overlapping interpretation: the identity between the act of eating and that of living (food is life) and the social interaction that arises from "eating together" (the communal meals of family life, banquets - called boarding schools - traditional festivals, convivial moments to foster dialogue between different people and populations). Also sharing of food with those who do not have enough or suffer from hunger is a dimension no less important than this conviviality. This is how a style is born of a "healthy" lifestyle in terms of food, but also from the point of view of social and ethical. In recent years, however, globalisation, which has has affected increasingly, trade and cultural relations, also profoundly influences culinary habits and food tastes. Often just for fashion we prefer to our traditional "local cuisine" the most exotic and fascinating "ethnic cuisine". These possible New nutritional habits: how they can affect our lives And what about our health? The relationship between health and food is becoming more and more direct. Today, modern knowledge about the nutritional value of foods and the factors are the basis for the prevention of many diseases. Change is possible, but only true gastronomic awareness helps everyone to use their own culinary traditions by integrating them with new ones learned, without health risks. A proper food culture can Therefore, to allow us to eat well, appreciating the gastronomic characteristics of food, but, at the same time, also to eat healthy, maintaining and improving our health. The Mediterranean diet seems to be able to reconcile these needs in the best possible way, also combining, together with health, economy and ecology. This is an important message, after Expo 2015, if we want to try to reconcile the search for an efficient food energy for life with the need to feed the planet in a culinaryly sustainable way.
No comments:
Post a Comment