title: Healthy traditional Mediterranean diet: an expression of culture, history, and lifestyle.
abstract: The term Mediterranean diet refers to dietary patterns found in olive-growing areas of the Mediterranean region and described in the 1960s and beyond. There are several variants of the Mediterranean diet, but some common components can be identified: high monounsaturated/saturated fat ratio; ethanol consumption at moderate levels and mainly in the form of wine; high consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains; moderate consumption of milk and dairy products, mostly in the form of cheese; and low consumption of meat and meat products. Growing evidence demonstrates that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial to health; the evidence is stronger for coronary heart disease, but it also applies to some forms of cancer. Results from recent investigations provide a strong biomedical foundation for the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Biochemistry, National School of Public Health, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trichopoulou
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lagiou
mesh_terms: D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control