Olive oil: the cornerstone ingredient of the Mediterranean diet
In 2010, UNESCO (United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture) declared the Mediterranean diet intangible heritage of humanity.
What is behind this recognition? What are the recognized benefits of this dietary regimen? and why does olive oil play such an important role?
The main benefits of the Mediterranean diet are related mainly to the great antioxidant power of the foods on which it is based, first and foremost fruits and vegetables (of which recommend 5 servings per day) and on the use of extra virgin olive oil as the only fat allowed.
It is also a diet that lowers inflammation, protects against certain types of cancer, is beneficial for the heart, wards off risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and prevents senile dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Incorporating olive oil into the daily diet brings numerous benefits, although inordinate use is totally inadvisable especially for those who must follow a diet low in calories and fat.
For those who need to keep cholesterol under control, however, consumption of olive oil is indicated within certain limits, but the benefits also involve reducing the risks of developing certain diseases such as atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
Let’s learn more about the Mediterranean diet
Things to know are:
- Mediterranean diet (food pyramid)
- Fats allowed in the Mediterranean diet
- Prevention at the table
- Mediterranean diet and single dish: the benefits
Let’s go now to analyze each of them in detail.
Mediterranean diet (food pyramid)
The food pyramid is a chart designed to invite the population to follow dietary advice. At the bottom are the foods or behaviors to be implemented more frequently and in larger quantities; at the top are those to be adopted only a few times.
The pyramid shape graphically represents the proportions of daily consumption of different foods, divided into groups, based on their nutritional characteristics. The foods that should be consumed in greater quantities are represented at the base, and as you go up, you will find the foods whose consumption should be moderated. A cardinal principle of the pyramid is variety in the choice of foods in the same group and the possibility of combining different foods according to need and especially in relation to individual caloric needs.
Each group contains foods that are essentially nutritionally equivalent, meaning that they provide roughly the same type of nutrients so they are considered “interchangeable.” In nature there is no such thing as a “complete” food, i.e., one that contains all the nutrients the body needs, so it is necessary to vary the choice of foods as much as possible by appropriately combining foods from different groups. A very varied diet not only avoids the risk of imbalances nutritional or metabolic, but also satisfies taste and promotes the state of well-being.
In general, the Mediterranean diet is the only dietary regimen that can ensure nutritional balance and optimal health.
The Pyramid represents a macro-structure capable of adapting to the current needs of the population while respecting all local variations of the Mediterranean Diet.
The Mediterranean diet is an expression of the entire historical and cultural system of the Mediterranean. It is a millenary food tradition that has been handed down from generation to generation, promoting not only the quality of foods and their territorial characterization, but also the dialogue between peoples.
Today, nutrition is a fundamental aspect in the life of every individual.
In the medical field, dietary claims constitute now an integral part in the prevention and treatment of many diseases.
The success of the Mediterranean Diet derives from its ability to succeed in combining culture, traditions, taste and territoriality of foods with an active lifestyle model that can provide well-being and health.
Fats allowed in the Mediterranean diet
Although the Mediterranean diet has long represented a complete dietary regimen, it has often undergone revisions in function of a new model that takes into account changing eating habits and more recent discoveries in the field of nutrition.
Among the points questioned and reviewed is the role of fats. This is because, as has long been known, not all fats have the same nutritional values: in the old pyramid all fats were placed toward the apex.
Instead, only saturated fats (mostly of animal origin, such as butter), should maintain this position, while fats of vegetable origin should be placed toward the base of the pyramid, providing for their daily consumption.
The Mediterranean diet, unlike other regimens nutritionally, encourages greater use of polyunsaturated fats or “good” fats (extra-virgin olive oil, fish, dried nuts with shells, such as walnuts, almonds, pine nuts) at the expense of saturated fats of animal origin.
Animal fats are high in saturated fatty acids and their use is a risk factor for the onset of obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Olive oil, on the other hand, is the key element of the Mediterranean Diet and its use is a factor in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
The polyphenols in olive oil, especially those in thenew oil, are powerful antioxidant factors with anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic properties, and its monounsaturated fatty acids are protective of the heart and vascular system.
Prevention at the table
The pyramid highlights the importance of a healthy lifestyle and respect for one’s traditional culture.
Three key points:
- the importance of conviviality and sharing at the table (including in food choice): making cooking an important activity. Cooking can be relaxing, fun;
- seasonality, biodiversity, eco-friendliness, typical and local products: choosing fresh, seasonal, minimally processed foods ensures that we get the maximum intake of healthy substances and nutrients for our diet and respect for the environment;
- The basic importance of physical activity.
Mediterranean diet and single dish: the benefits
A must-have of the Mediterranean diet, which is perhaps one of its distinguishing features, is the so-called one-dish meal, that is, avoiding the division of food between first course, second course and side dish but combining all ingredients in the preparation of a single nutritionally sound dish. An example of a single dish? Pasta and beans, noodles with meat sauce, a beef stew with potatoes, minestrone with some grated cheese, and, last but not least, pizza.
The benefits of the Mediterranean diet
Ultimately we can say that following the Mediterranean diet has a long list of beneficial effects that we can summarize in:
- Reduction in the incidence of coronary artery disease, cerebral and cardiac ischemia, and atherosclerosis,
- Preventive effect against neoplasia such as colon and breast cancer;
- reduction in blood concentrations of total cholesterol and, even more importantly, LDL (the “bad”) cholesterol;
- Reduction of obesity;
- Lower incidence of metabolic syndrome and digestive diseases.
Alfio Lo Conte
Tecnico ed esperto degli oli extravergini di oliva, iscritto nell’Elenco Nazionale sezione Campania.
Maestro di frantoio con diploma, conseguito presso International Extravirgin Agency.
Read more articles by: Alfio Lo Conte
Recent Comments