CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

It has been proven, both scientifically and universally, that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest of all existing diets.

The Mediterranean diet is characterised by the abundance of vegetable foods such as pasta, bread, vegetables, salad, pulses, fresh and dry fruits; olive oil as the main source of fat; consumption of fish, farmyard fowl, milk products and eggs; small quantities of red meat and moderate quantities of wine consumed with meals.

Olive oil, the monounsaturated fat most consumed throughout the world, has been most appreciated by the Mediterranean countries for thousands of years. Not only does it have an excellent flavour but there is also clear evidence that a diet based on olive oil is directly related to a longer life expectation and a decrease in illnesses caused largely by our Western eating habits.

PROPERTIES OF OLIVE OIL

In recent years, medical researchers have focused their attention on the virtues of the Mediterranean diet and especially on olive oil. In a more detailed examination, this ancestral liquid has proven to be something more than a monounsaturated fat. It is also a rich source of antioxidants.

Antioxidants help to prevent the damage caused by molecules known as ìfree radicalsî to the body tissue. The body produces these free radicals because it needs oxygen and the quantity increases as we grow older. Free radicals have been related to heart disease, cancer and old age.

In spite of the fact that the body produces its own antioxidants, the food we eat is also an important source. Olive oil, made from the olive, contains a wide range of valuable antioxidants not to be found in other oils.

IMPROVE HEALTH

Antioxidants play an important role in the arteries. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or harmful cholesterol, as it is called, are really only harmful when they oxidise. If this occurs, particles form that create a plaque that grows and greatly increases the possibilities of blocking the artery. Olive oil, as a natural antioxidant, helps to prevent oxidation from occurring. Vegetables also provide important antioxidants, but nutrition experts still need to encourage people to consume vegetables. For this to happen, the vegetables need to taste good. The Mediterranean cuisine makes it possible to prepare vegetables with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and herbs, and their delicious flavour is the main reason why people in Mediterranean countries enjoy eating large quantities of vegetables on a daily basis.

Subsequent investigations have demonstrated that monounsaturated fats are better than polyunsaturated because they reduce the low-density lipoproteins (LPL or harmful cholesterol) without affecting the protective high-density lipoproteins (HDL or good cholesterol). Apart from the beneficial effect of the olive oil in reducing LDL, oleic acid is also outstanding in reducing the probability of blood clots forming in the arteries.

The powers of olive oil go much further than the protection aspect against cardiovascular diseases. Some of the antioxidants called ìpolyphenolî in the olive oil may have the ability to destroy substances that lead to the proliferation of carcinogenic cells. Obviously, research needs to be done to resolve how this protection occurs, but evidence reveals that women in Mediterranean countries suffer less breast cancer than those in countries like the United States and Australia, where the percentage is very high.

Olive oil also plays an important role in diabetes. Research has demonstrated that people who include olive oil in their diet have a better control over their diabetes and lower levels of some fats in the blood, when compared with diets rich in carbohydrates normally recommended for this type of diabetes.

Olive oil has a definitive protective effect on metabolism, the arteries, the stomach and bile. It promotes growth during infancy and prolongs life expectancy of the elderly. It has a singular effect on the lipids in blood serum. Furthermore, olive oil appears to have a cholagogic effect (expulsion of the bile) and a therapeutic effect on peptic ulcers.