Features of The Mediterranean Diet:

• Presents material written and edited by an international team of recognized experts, both practitioners and researchers
• Includes the most current information, material not easily found in one source
• Provides a discussion of important nutrition issues and concerns
• Is well-documented with numerous figures and tabular material

The Mediterranean Diet: Constituents and Health Promotion explores in detail the relationship between the Mediterranean Diet, nutritional status, and disease and evaluates the nutritional practices that minimize or slow the incidence and progress of major diseases, especially heart disease and cancer.

During the past ten years the Mediterranean Diet has been the subject of constant attention, debate, and controversy. It is the subject of ongoing studies as a cultural model for dietary improvement and health promotion in the United States and Europe.

Divided into three sections, the book provides this information:

Background: History of the Mediterranean Diet and food patterns from the ancient Greeks through the present. This section also discusses the diet's classical antecedents and definition, paying particular attention to the characteristics, dietary patterns, and epidemiological aspects.

Dietary Constituents: Specific food components and commodities that constitute the Mediterranean Diet such as fats and oils; fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains; milk and dairy products; meat and meat products; and alcoholic beverages.

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: Examines how the Mediterranean Diet promotes good health with regard to diabetes and obesity, coronary heart disease, cancer, and longevity.

Also included are chapters offering dietary recommendations based on the current understanding of the diet, suggested future research and applications, and a useful summary chapter.

Contents:

Background

1. Mediterranean Food Patterns: The View from Antiquity, Ancient Greeks and Romans
2. Mediterranean Diet: Historical Background and Dietary Patterns in Pre-World War II Greece
3. The Mediterranean Diet: Definition, Epidemiological Aspects, and Current Patterns

Dietary Constituents

4. Fats and Oils
5. Fruits, Vegetables, Legumes
6. Milk and Dairy Products
7. Meat and Meat Products
8. Alcoholic Beverages

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

9. Mediterranean Diet and Longevity
10. Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity, and the Mediterranean Diet
11. The Mediterranean Diet and Coronary Heart Disease
12. Cancer and the Mediterranean Diet
13. The Cyprus Experience
14. Nutrition Policy Issues and Further Research on the Mediterranean Diet: The Importance of Monounsaturated Fatty Acids

Index

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