Journey to discover the Italian Mediterranean Diet: from literary sources, archaeological and medical sciences from the IV sec. BC to the post genomic era

The Mediterranean diet, a lifestyle universally regarded as the optimal scheme to promote health and, consequently, the duration and the quality of life, world-unique example of food, social and cultural practices, has been recognized as intangible heritage of UNESCO, in November 2010. Literary sources, but also the archaeological documentation and scientific, anthropological and paleobotanical analysis allow us to delineate an articulate Italian Mediterranean traditional food from the fourth century BC, from the territory of Calabria, called in the past Brutium. A diet high in grains and vegetables, an apparent consumption of olive oil, a substantial presence on the table, fish or pork, especially food high in fat like Omega3, with healthy benefits, and a consumption and marketing of wine, give the basis for recognizing a strong food culture, permeated by foreign influences but also characterized by important endogenous features, as marker of cultural identity of Italy

Factor analysis in the identification of dietary patterns and their predictive role in morbid and fatal events

AbstractObjectiveThe purpose was to examine the role of dietary patterns derived from factor analysis and their association with health and disease.DesignLongitudinal population study, with measurement of diet (dietary history method), cardiovascular risk factors and a follow-up of 20 years for CHD incidence and 40 years for mortality.SettingTwo population samples in rural villages in northern and central Italy.SubjectsMen (n 1221) aged 45–64 years were examined and followed up.ResultsOne of the factors identified with factor analysis, run on seventeen food groups, was converted into a factor score (Factor 2 score) and used as a possible predictor of morbid and fatal events. High values of Factor 2 score were characterized by higher consumption of bread, cereals (pasta), potatoes, vegetables, fish and oil and by lower consumption of milk, sugar, fruit and alcoholic beverages. In multivariate analysis, Factor 2 score (mean 0·0061; sd 1·3750) was inversely and significantly associated (hazard ratio for a 1 sd increase; 95% CI) with 20-year CHD incidence (0·88; 0·73, 0·96) and 40-year mortality from CHD (0·79; 0·66, 0·95), CVD (0·87; 0·78, 0·96), cancer (0·84; 0·74, 0·96) and all causes (0·89; 0·83, 0·96), after adjustment for five other risk factors. Men in quintile 5 of Factor 2 score had a 4·1 years longer life expectancy compared with men in quintile 1.ConclusionsA dietary pattern derived from factor analysis, and resembling the characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, was protective for the occurrence of various morbid and fatal events during 40 years of follow-up

The Mediterranean Italian diet: keys to Contemporary Thinking

The Mediterranean diet, which is usual for people from countries whose coasts arc washed by this sea, is a moderate diet in which cereal products, fish, legumes, olive oil, fruit and vegetables and little meat and wine, are prevalent. This type of diet, with variants characteristic for each Mediterranean population, results from an amalgamation over a period of time of local and foreign cooking cultures (first, the Greek-Latin and Arabic ones). The Medieval and post-Medieval cookbooks of Spain, France and Italy are a good example of this