A person’s health is the result of hereditary factors as well as of the influences that it accepts from its environment. Among all the environmental factors that affect the human organism (including smoking, toxins, physical activity etc), the role of nutrition is extremely important as we are constantly exposed to food, throughout our lives. Thus, nutrition is among the most important, if not the most important, environmental factor affecting the human organism. (Ordovas & Corella 2004).
Until quite recently in the history of mankind, different populations were dependent on food that was available in their immediate environment: i.e. foods whose cultivation or availability was favored by the climatic and ecological conditions of each area. Accordingly, different populations have managed to survive and develop in various climatic and ecological conditions, which have respectively led to the formation of different diets and nutritional habits. Different diets, even if they could ensure the good health of people until the age of reproduction, were not necessarily connected with wellness at a later age or with longevity. Thus, during the history of man on earth, there were various ecological, socio-economic and cultural factors which contributed to the formation of different digestive practices in various areas, which did not have, however, the same potential as far as health was concerned. .
The island of Crete had attracted the attention of the scientific community as early as 1948, when researchers from the Rockefeller Foundation of the United States were summoned by the Greek government in an attempt to improve, in the post-war era, the “bad” living conditions of the Cretan population. Within this framework, a detailed assessment of the Cretan diet was performed, and –to the surprise of the researchers– it proved to be nutritionally sufficient, with only a few exceptions which were limited to areas with a very low income and very limited food production by the families themselves . In general, the researchers concluded that “in total, the way of nutrition and the nutritional habits were very well adapted to the natural and economic resources of the area, as well as to the needs of its inhabitants”.
The connection between the diet and the health of the inhabitants of Crete became widely known in later times, with the study of Seven Countries. This study was started shortly before 1960 by the American Acel Keys and his colleagues, due to the impressively low mortality and cardiovascular diseases rates observed in the area. Indeed, according to data of the United Nations, there was no other area in the Mediterranean with such a low percentage as Crete, both before and after World War II . The study included approximately 13.000 men, which were selected from among 16 different areas of seven countries (Finland, Netherlands, Japan, United States, Italy, Yugoslavia and Greece), in order to examine the, still unclear then, connection between diet and occurrences of cardiovascular disease.
Comparisons conducted between different areas showed that the population of Crete presented the best health status and the lowest mortality rates from coronary disease and cancer compared to all other populations which took part in the study . After 20 years of observation, Cretans demonstrated the lowest death rates from any cause , and after 25 years the deaths due to coronary disease in Crete were impressively lower by comparison with deaths occurring in the populations of the United States and Northern Europe, as well as in comparison with other areas of Southern Europe, such as Italy, Yugoslavia, and Corfu . As shown in Figure 1, deaths from coronary disease in Italy and Yugoslavia were almost three times greater, while in Corfu they were almost twice those observed in Crete.
The lowest occurrence of coronary disease and cancer, as well as the lowest mortality by any cause observed in the population of Crete, was attributed to the particular nutritional habits which characterized this area .Following the study of Seven Countries, the French researchers Serge Renaud and Michel de Longeril demonstrated by the Lyon Heart Study that the use of a Cretan type of diet in patients with myocardial infarction reduced the death rate by 70% in 27 months after occurrence, compared to the diet which was recommended by the American Heart Association . Moreover, after 4 years, the Cretan diet was associated with a decline in the death rate of 56% and a decline in the rate of cancer by 61% .
The Cretan diet as a lifestyle
When we refer to the Cretan diet of 1960 we should take into consideration that the diet in question was applied under specific social conditions and constituted an inextricable part of a general lifestyle. Apart from the specific choice of food, there were probably numerous other factors which contributed to the beneficiary effects of this diet to human health. One of these factors is physical activity, as in the study of Seven Countries it has been demonstrated that 62% of men from Crete underwent intense daily physical activity, whereas only 7% of them had a sedentary lifestyle or mild types of activity. Intense physical activity, which was connected with necessary movements as well as with the type of work, seems to have contributed to the lower rates of body fat of men in Crete as compared to other populations. . Thus, the combination of Cretan diet with regular physical activity made the preservation of a healthy body weight possible.
But apart from exercise, another important parameter of the Cretan lifestyle -as well as that of other Mediterranean populations- has been the stability in the schedule of meals . Steady meals at specific times of day appear to help the human organism to regulate the ingestion of food more effectively, in such a way that energy requirements are met, without, however, involving an over-consumption of food .
Finally, it is significant that meals constituted an occasion for family gatherings, as well as for broader social interactions, and were regarded as a pleasant social experience . This is particularly important if we take into account that nowadays a large percentage of people have lunch or dinner in front of the TV –a habit which is related to the over-consumption of food, not only in adults but also in children . In the case of children, it has been suggested that watching TV during meals is one of the main factors contributing to the epidemic of child obesity .
The features of the Cretan diet
If we wanted to sketch a rough pattern of the Cretan diet in the 1960s, we could say that the core of this diet consisted of food derived from natural sources, whereas food of animal origin was more peripheral in nature. In general, people consumed seasonal products, available in the wider local area, which underwent minimal processing or none at all.
Fresh and dried fruits, pulses, endemic wild herbs and aromatic plants, and rough cereals, whose cultivation was favored by the regional climate, were consumed in great amounts and constituted the base of the Cretan diet during that period. Dairy products were consumed on a daily basis in low to moderate quantities. Poultry and fish were consumed on a weekly basis in moderate quantities, whereas red meat was consumed only a few times a month. The main supply of fat was effectuated by olive oil, which was used not only in salads but also in cooking, unlike the northern European countries which primarily used animal fat. Another essential feature of the Cretan diet in 1960s was the moderate use of alcohol, mainly red wine which accompanied meals. Finally, the most common dessert was fresh fruits, while traditional pastry based on honey had been consumed a few times a week .
The Cretan diet of the 1960s has quite a few differences compared to other Mediterranean diets of the same period. More specifically, the study of Seven Countries has demonstrated that in Crete the consumption of olive oil, pulses, fruits and potatoes has been higher compared to the consumption of the same type of food in South Italy. On the other hand, red meat, fish and cereals were consumed in smaller quantities .
Initially, the protective effect of the Cretan diet for human health was attributed to its high monounsaturated fat content, due to the daily use of olive oil, as well as to low saturated fat, due to the low consumption of red meat. At present, we are well aware that this particular nutritional scheme possesses important additional features, since it is a diet that, when applied in sufficient quantities, provides all the necessary micro-constituents (i.e. vitamins and minerals), and is rich in ω-3 fatty acids, vegetable fibres, antioxidants and various phytochemicals, which have significant influence on several body functions, and a beneficial effect on our health .
The role of fasting
One of the factors that seem to have contributed to the low consumption of food of animal origin that was observed in Crete during the study of the Seven Countries was the fact that during this period the Cretans kept to the fasts dictated by the Greek Orthodox Church to a great degree. Thus, the low consumption of red meat and dairy products is not attributed only to economic parameters since, despite the low incomes of the inhabitants, the majority of the population produced their own animal and vegetable products. During the periods of fasting, however, animal products were stored in order to be used in non fast periods, and this tradition, apart
Get a Free Sample Menu of the New Mediterranean Diet ...
You should eat 5 times a day: Breakfast, lunch and dinner and 2 snacks (11:00 and 18:00). The Mediterranean diet is not only a weight loss and maintenance diet, it’s also one of ...
Understanding The Mediterranean Diet, Part One
Understanding the Mediterranean Diet, the only diet clinically proven to help you live a ... Create a two-week custom meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner, for ...
Mediterranean Diet Plan | Heart Healthy Diet | Low ...
How will the Mediterranean diet work for you? The Mediterranean diet incorporates the traditional ... Breakfast Greek yoghurt with nuts, fruit and toast. click for more info
Mediterranean Diet
Our Mediterranean plan will help you follow a diet similar to that traditionally found in the countries ... Breakfast
Breakfast food from the Arabic Eastern Mediterranean
Breakfast food in the Arabic Mediterranean can ... diet breakfast ideas. A complete healthy breakfast. Here's some delicious breakfast food eaten in most Arabic Eastern Mediterranean ...
Ayhan's Mediterranean Marketplace - Mediterranean Diet
Costa Rica: Beans for breakfast. Residents of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula are four ... Visit our FREE Mediterranean Diet Recipes section to see some of Ayhan’s favorite recipes ...
Tasty Mediterranean Diet Recipes for Breakfast ...
Tasty Mediterranean Diet Recipes for Breakfast by Ray Darken in Food / Recipes (submitted 2009-08-25) You may have heard of all the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet.
The Mediterranean Diet: Dairy : The Real World Diet
Breakfast; Soup; Salad; Main Course. Beef / Lamb / Venison; Chicken & Turkey; Fish; Pantry Meals ... Coaching: The Mediterranean Diet: Dairy. Dairy products are one of the nine elements of ...
Mediterranean Diet Foods - Associated Content ...
Eating Mediterranean diet foods is hardly like being on a diet at all. ... Mediterranean Diet Foods for Breakfast Fruit is one of the main Mediterranean diet foods.
The Mediterranean Diet: The Nutrition of Italian Food ...
In any authentic Mediterranean diet, note there's a division of nutrition energy that should be roughly: 20% 10% 30% 10% 30%. An Italian Breakfast