Mediterranean Diet, a Sustainable Cultural Asset
Definition
:1. Introduction
2. History
2.1. From the Agricultural Revolution to the Inter-Continental Maritime Routes
2.2. From the Industrial Revolution to the Onset of the XXI Century
2.3. Globalization and the Climate Crisis Shape Food Habits in the Mediterranean Basin
3. The Origin and Relevance of the Mediterranean Diet Concept
- Strong difference between everyday and festivity meals. Frugality is the rule, although everyday meals are varied and tasty.
- Daily meals are convivial moments, during work breaks with colleagues or at home with all the family gathered around the table.
- Olive oil is the main fat and a key food ingredient, with daily intakes of about 20 mL/capita/day.
- Abundant consumption of seasonal vegetables and fruits from local orchards, kitchen gardens, and proximity markets.
- Animal-based products are used primarily to enhance the flavor of dishes, instead of being the main ingredients.
4. Methodology and Data Sources in Assessing Diet Sustainability
4.1. Data on Food Habits and Physical Activity of Portuguese Population
4.2. Demographic Statistics
4.3. Agricultural Statistics and Food Availability Data
4.4. Proposed Sustainability Metrics for a Potential Composite Indicator
Definitions, Assumptions, and Calculations
- The biochemical composition of foods is characterized by: (A1) the vegetable/animal protein consumption ratio; (A2) average dietary energy adequacy (expressing the dietary energy supply as a percentage of the average dietary energy requirement in the country); (A3) dietary energy density, which is the amount of energy in a given mass of daily ingested food (kcal/g); and (A4) nutrient density of the diet, which is the amount of the various necessary nutrients and fibres present in a given daily diet per g of ingested food.
- Food quality is characterized by: (A5) fruit and vegetable consumption/intake, which is a measure of the consumption (g/capita/day) of fruits and vegetables, including pulses, nuts, and seeds; and (A6) dietary diversity score, which is a qualitative measure of the household access to and consumption of a wide variety of foods. It is based on the assumption that a greater dietary diversity protects against the double burden of obesity and malnutrition.
- The environmental dimension of the diet is characterized by: (A7) The food biodiversity composition and consumption. In the context of human nutrition, biodiversity refers to foods identified at a taxonomic level below species (e.g., cultivar, breed), and it is a count of items; however, it is distinct from A6. (A8) The rate of local/regional foods and the seasonality of the diet. This metric is generally associated with the sustainable agriculture concept, in which most foods are sourced and distributed in a limited geographical area (proximity between producer and consumer) and are “in season”, meaning that heated greenhouses are avoided as well as long-term cold storage. (A9) The rate of eco-friendly food production and/or consumption, which is the percentage of consumers buying organic foods and the frequency of consumption, or alternatively, the percentage of the organic market volume.
- The lifestyle dimension is characterized by: (A10) the ratio of physical activity/sedentarism prevalence, obtained from physical activity questionnaires/national surveys; and (A11) the adherence scores to the Mediterranean diet, from the IAN-AF national survey using the Mediterranean diet score.
- The clinical aspects’ dimension relates food habits with concrete health outcomes as (A12) diet-related morbidity/mortality statistics, reflecting the prevalence of individuals with non-communicable diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, osteoporosis, and so on; and (A13) nutritional anthropometry, which is based on body mass index distribution, noting the prevalence of BMI < 18.5 (undernutrition) and BMI > 25 (overweight and obesity).
5. Baseline Assessment of the Sustainability Dimensions of the DM in Portugal
6. Conclusions and Prospects
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Nutrients | Relevant Food Sources | Contribution to Energy Intake (%) | Average Daily Energy (Kcal) | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Carbohydrates | Wheat and other cereals | 60–70 | 1200–1400 | >50% starch |
Protein | Pulses, cereals and varied vegetables, dairy, eggs, fish, meat, other sources (e.g., snails) | 10 | 200 | High biological value; from animal and plant sources |
Lipids | Olive oil, fish, nuts | 20–32 | 400–640 | Mostly mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, with an n3:n6 ratio of approximately 2:1; modest intake of saturated fats from meat and dairy |
Dietary phytochemicals (*) | Wine (**) Tea, coffee Spices and herbs | 4–7 N.A. | 80–140 | Alcoholic drinks are forbidden by Islam, but green tea, which is a staple drink in north Africa, also contains a high level of tannins; abundant use of a large variety of culinary herbs and spices |
Dietary fibres | Fresh and dry fruits, grains, nuts, fresh vegetables | N.A. | N.A. | The high proportion of vegetables in the diet also provides vitamins and phytochemicals |
Indicator | Description | Estimated Value |
---|---|---|
A7 | Agri-biodiversity in diet composition and consumption | Data gap |
A8 | Average proportion of local and seasonal foods in the diet | Data gap |
A9 | Preference for organic produce in % of overall consumption of vegetables, dairy, meat, eggs | 11.6% |
Indicator | Description | Estimated Value |
---|---|---|
A10 | Level of physical activity 1 | Active: 27.1%; moderate: 30.3%; sedentary: 42.6% |
A11 | Adherence score to the Mediterranean diet 1 | High: 18.2%; moderate: 50.4%; low: 31.4% |
A12 | Mortality and morbidity from non-communicable diseases 2 (NCD) | NCD caused 85.6% of deaths (2016), mostly by cardiovascular diseases; data gaps on morbidity |
A13 | Anthropometric data: obesity’s prevalence (% of the population) 1 | Obesity 22.3%; excess weight: 34.8% |
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Barros, V.C.; Delgado, A.M. Mediterranean Diet, a Sustainable Cultural Asset. Encyclopedia 2022, 2, 761-777. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2020053
Barros VC, Delgado AM. Mediterranean Diet, a Sustainable Cultural Asset. Encyclopedia. 2022; 2(2):761-777. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2020053
Chicago/Turabian StyleBarros, Vitor C., and Amélia M. Delgado. 2022. "Mediterranean Diet, a Sustainable Cultural Asset" Encyclopedia 2, no. 2: 761-777. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2020053
APA StyleBarros, V. C., & Delgado, A. M. (2022). Mediterranean Diet, a Sustainable Cultural Asset. Encyclopedia, 2(2), 761-777. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2020053