The Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet constitutes a great example of the evolution of nutritional habits in countries such as ours. Until not long ago, the dietary traditions of the European countries on the Mediterranean coast were not exactly prestigious.

Our size, in times where stature was considered an indicator of optimal health, was taken as an example of our "poor diet".

The high consumption of some of the basic foods in the Mediterranean diet, such as olive oil, did not enjoy a very good reputation either, in spite of the fact that this diet originated in countries that were the "cradle of Western civilization". Some of our most traditional cooking styles, such as deep-frying – which was, and still is, a defining characteristic of the Mediterranean diet – were also misunderstood. During that time, the general opinion in the most technologically advanced countries insisted on the inconvenience of this way of cooking, suggesting that fried foods were not easily digested and that they were "fattening", in some cases even speaking of toxicity. However, these notions have changed profoundly in recent years, and frying has become a culinary technique of growing popularity in many countries where people were formerly reluctant to adopt it.

Keys, Anderson and Grande, three investigators from Minnesota, USA, were the first ones to demonstrate that Mediterranean countries exhibited a lower death rate caused by heart disease, in a study entitled “The Seven Countries Study”. This line of investigation opened a valuable source of information by proving that Mediterranean diet is, to a great extent, responsible for this beneficial phenomenon, particularly the consumption of olive oil, which is at the heart of this nutritional tradition.

We should note, however, that while the benefits of this diet are unquestionable, this fact should not lead to a belief in a sort of “panacea”, a “one diet suits all” sort of idea, because there are no such things as “magic diets”. What we can certainly conclude is that the Mediterranean diet is a great prophylactic measure, not only for cardiovascular disease, but also for numerous other pathologies, including some types of neoplasia. However, when judging the positive effects of the Mediterranean diet we should also consider other non-dietary factors that are related to the Mediterranean culture, such as a more peaceful lifestyle, less stress, the tradition of taking an afternoon nap or siesta, and so on. For instance, we know today that elderly people from these areas usually exercise more than those from less privileged climatic regions, resulting in an increase in their appetite and food intake, among other benefits. However, these non-dietary factors do not take away from the crucial role of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of the above-mentioned pathologies.

On the other hand, it is not easy to formulate a correct definition of Mediterranean diet since, for one thing, the term does not describe a strictly geographical concept. Portugal, for example, is not on the Mediterranean coast yet it is the European country with the most typically Mediterranean dietary tradition. On the other hand, there are great differences in the nutritional habits of the people from those countries that do lie on the Mediterranean coast, even from one region to the next of the same country.

This is the case with Spain. While the entire country is said to follow the Mediterranean diet, numerous variations take place, mostly due to the wealth of regional traditions. In our opinion, it is possible to distinguish among three main areas:

1. The one that corresponds to the Mediterranean zone itself, going all the way to the Atlantic border with Portugal, including the Balearic Islands, and curiously enough also the Canary Islands, even though the latter are not on the Mediterranean. This area follows the most typical profile of the Mediterranean diet.

2. The north and northeast, where dietary habits abandon, in a way, the general profile of the Mediterranean diet.

3. The Central Plateau, whose dietary profile is somewhere in the middle of the other two.

It is important to acknowledge, however, that in spite of these differences, at present all our dietary profiles fall under the definition of Mediterranean diet.

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