Food patterns and Mediterranean diet in western and eastern Mediterranean islands.
OBJECTIVE
To assess current Mediterranean dietary patterns (MDP) in the western and eastern Mediterranean, i.e. in Balearic islanders (BI) and Greek islanders (GI).


METHODS
Dietary patterns were assessed using FFQ on a representative sample (n 1200) of the BI and GI (n 1324) adult population. A Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) was calculated according to the consumption of nine MDP components: (i) with a beneficial effect on health, i.e. vegetables, fruits and nuts, cereals, legumes, fish and shellfish, MUFA:SFA ratio, and moderate alcohol consumption; and (ii) with a detrimental effect on health, i.e. meat and meat products, and milk and dairy products. Persons with consumption of beneficial components below the median (GI plus BI) received a value of 0 and those with consumption above the median a value of 1. Persons with below-median consumption of detrimental components received a value of 1 and above-median consumption a value of 0. For alcohol, a value of 1 was given to consumptions of 10-50 g/d (men) and 5-25 g/d (women). The range of the MDS was 0-9, with higher scores indicating greater adherence to the MDP.


RESULTS
GI showed higher adherence (mean MDS 5.12 (sd 1.42)) to the MDP than BI (mean MDS 3.32 (sd 1.23)). BI diet was characterized by a high intake of legumes, nuts, seed oils, sugar and confectionery, and non-alcoholic beverages compared with GI, whereas GI diet was richer in fruit, vegetables, potatoes, olive oil, animal products and alcoholic beverages.


CONCLUSIONS
The GI diet seems closer to the traditional MDP than the BI diet.
University of the Balearic Islands, and Research Group on Community Nutrition and Oxidative Stress, Research Institute of Health Sciences, University of the Balearic Islands, Guillem Colom Bldg, Campus, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Dora
D
Romaguera
Christina
C
Bamia
Antoni
A
Pons
Josep A
JA
Tur
Antonia
A
Trichopoulou
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain; D055815:Young Adult