Olive Oil and Mediterranean Diet
This is the concept reported by studies undertaken around the 1970’s by the American scientist Ancel Keys, whose results were summarized in the "Mediterranean diet".
To summarize, it was demonstrated by a study conducted for 20 years in Finland, Japan, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, the United States and Yugoslavia, that the diet of people who live on the Mediterranean, urge them to be characterized as the ones with thehighest life expectancy rates in the world.
This type of diet is also related to drastic reductions in incidences of heart disease and different types of cancer as well as many other infections.
A healthy diet foresees, above all, moderate food consumption, and secondly, careful attention to the chemical composition of the food.The dietary model designated by Ancel Keys which later became known as the “Mediterranean diet”, is based on a few nutrients among which - as far as the type of lipid to consume - is Extra Virgin olive oil. It is considered to play a fundamental role due to its concentration of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Mediterranean diet's virtues have been repeatedly praised by all expert nutritionists. Olive oil constitutes the very essence of healthy mediterranean diets. Olive oil esti... health and the good life!
Olive oil is an integral part of the "Mediterranean diet" which is also associated with sensible tasty portions and slower, more enjoyable eating. People who follow this nutritional recommendation have been characterized bya remarkable variety of health benefits. The olive oil according to this type of dietcan quickly satisfy hunger leading to fewer total calories ingested at mealtime
Most doctors recommend people to lower total fat and calories in their diet, and also to substitute butter, margarine and tropical oils with healthy fats such as olive oil.
The term Mediterranean Diet reflects the characteristic dietary patterns of several Mediterranean countries in the 1960. The connection between Mediterranean diet, longer life expectancy and lower mortality rates due to heart diseases, has also been depicted.
Clinical, epidemiological and biochemical studies have provided very sound biological base regarding the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. The high intake of antioxidants derived from the consumption of fruit and vegetables along with the benefits obtained from extra virgin olive oil and the moderate consumption of wine, make the Mediterranean Diet a good choice with innumerable advantages
It is has been proven, more specifically, that this type of diet is distinguished by its beneficial effects which are the following:
1. Increase of life expectancy: the traditional Mediterranean Diet is associated to a longer life expectancy both for the population in general and for people with an ischemic heart disease.
2. Decrease of mortality: the consumption of a Mediterranean Diet is associated to an overall lower risk of mortality and a similar decrease in mortality of coronary, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, in a healthy population older than 70.
3. Ischemic heart disease, cardiovascular illness: the consumption of a Mediterranean type diet, rich in linolenic acid reduces 50% to 70% of cardiovascular risk, depending on the valuation criteria analysed.
4. Metabolic syndrome and blood pressure: the Mediterranean Diet could reduce the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its associated vascular risk, possibly due to the decrease of the inflammation it has associated. It could reduce the concentration of proost-inflammatory and pro-coagulant markers in people without cardiovascular history. To adhere to a Mediterranean diet is inversely related to blood pressure.
5. Overweight or obesity: in different transversal studies with more than 3,000 adult participants without a cardiovascular disease history, it was proven that the adherence to a Mediterranean Diet was associated with a 39 to 50% reduction of the probability of becoming overweight or obese and with 59% less risk of developing overall obesity after controlling several confusing variables.
6. Cancer: those people ill with coronary artery disease that follow a Mediterranean Diet may be protected against developing certain tumours, especially urinary, digestive and throat tumours.