Page 37 - Mediterraneo e dintorni - nr 12

the mediterranean diet,
a Wealth for our health

lready at the end of the Second
AWorld War, when people re-
alized that the populations facing
the Mediterranean waters had a
significantly lower spread of car-
diovascular diseases compared to
North American and Northern
European countries, studies began
that allowed us to affirm that the
Mediterranean diet represents not
only a traditional diet typical of
the countries bordering the mare
nostrum, but a real nutritional
model that appears to be of proven
health value. This dietary model re-
tazione. L’elevato consumo di dieta provvede ad equilibrare presents a diet for everyone, which
carni rosse e grassi di origine il microbiota intestinale, ormai allows effective prevention of meta-
bolic disorders that are widespread
animali, l’alto contenuto di zuc- considerato un vero e proprio in the population, namely diseases
cheri e di alimenti raffinati in- organo, responsabile della mo- such as obesity, diabetes mellitus,
hepatic steatosis, cardiovascular
dustrialmente, sono, purtroppo, dulazione della permeabilità in- diseases and intestinal chronic in-
tutte caratteristiche abitudina- testinale e dell’assorbimento dei flammatory diseases and, not least,
rie nel mondo occidentale: ciò è nutrienti. Studi recenti hanno tumors. The reduced intake of red
meat and fat of animal origin, in
stato correlato ad una maggiore osservato che poche settimane favor of a higher percentage of vege-
insorgenza di tumori del tratto di un siffatto regime alimentare tables, fruit, olive oil, seeds, cereals
gastrointestinale, in particolare determinano un miglioramento and legumes, as well as fish, gene-
rates a lower content of saturated
al cancro del colon, e questo è sta- qualitativo della flora batterica fatty acids and a high percentage of
to messo in relazione all’effetto intestinale. Ecco perché la dieta unsaturated ones, together with the
ossidante, pro-infiammatorio e mediterranea, dal 2010, è stata contribution of vegetable fibers and
the variety of antioxidants and mo-
tumorigeno che un tale regime inclusa nel patrimonio intangi- lecules with a proven anti-inflam-
alimentare favorisce a carico del- bile dell’umanità dell’UNESCO. matory role.
la mucosa del tratto intestinale. Inoltre, associata ad uno stile di Obesity is directly linked to the risk
of cardiovascular disease and can-
Con la dieta mediterranea, ca- vita in cui l’introito di calorie sia cer. A high body mass index is the
ratterizzata da alimenti ricchi di accompagnato da un’adeguata characteristic of obesity, but today
antiossidanti, si riduce l’azione spesa energetica e da un’attività we know that there are individuals
with normal body mass index and
dannosa prodotta dai radicali li- fisica di tipo aerobico, rappresen- yet they are “metabolically obese”.
beri, con un chiaro beneficio per ta un caposaldo di salute sotto With the Mediterranean diet, cha-
la nostra salute. Infine questa ogni aspetto. racterized by foods rich in antioxi-
dants, the harmful action produced
by free radicals is reduced, with a
clear benefit for our health. Final-
ly, this diet balances the intestinal
microbiota, now considered a real
organ, responsible for modulating
intestinal permeability and nu-
trient absorption. Recent studies
have observed that a few weeks of
such an alimentary regime deter-
mine a qualitative improvement of
the intestinal bacterial flora. This
is why the Mediterranean diet,
since 2010, has been included in
the UNESCO intangible heritage
of humanity. Furthermore, asso-
ciated with a lifestyle in which the
intake of calories is accompanied by
adequate energy expenditure and
an aerobic type of physical activity,
it represents a cornerstone of health
in every respect.

Mediterraneo e dintorni - 35