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Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet

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Chemistry of the Mediterranean Diet

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Abstract

This chapter discusses the desirable features of the Mediterranean diet (MD) and the current evolution of food habits in the countries forming the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization MD Representative List. Several dietary indexes that measure adherence to the MD are presented and discussed for the countries of the area, as well as from a global perspective. The concept of ‘dietary pattern’ is used here as an integrated approach enabling the identification and quantification of associations between the ‘overall diet’ and specific health/disease outcomes. Some negative effects of adopting a so-called Western or globalized diet are highlighted, namely the increased proportion of processed energy-dense foods in the daily diet, along with a decreasing trend in the consumption of green vegetables and fresh fruits. These behavioural changes can be the result of a dietary transition, in this case with deleterious consequences. On the other hand, the analysis of nutritional epidemiology studies, complemented with information provided by studies at cellular and/or molecular levels, enables the discussion of the multiple associations between the MD, health, well-being and longevity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, Oporto, Portugal

    Maria Daniel Vaz Almeida

  2. Associazione ‘Componiamo il Futuro’ (CO.I.F.), Palermo, Italy

    Salvatore Parisi

  3. Consultant for Food Safety and Nutrition, Lisbon, Portugal

    Amélia Martins Delgado

Authors
  1. Maria Daniel Vaz Almeida
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  2. Salvatore Parisi
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  3. Amélia Martins Delgado
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Vaz Almeida, M.D., Parisi, S., Delgado, A.M. (2017). Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet. In: Chemistry of the Mediterranean Diet. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29370-7_3

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