Nutrition + Science = Mediterranean DietBY Michele Carruba

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As early as the 5th century BC, Hippocrates had intuited that health is inextricably linked to nutrition, but it took centuries to precisely define this relationship through scientific research. It was thanks to the studies of Ancel Keys, particularly the famous “Seven Countries Study”, that in the 1970s, the concept of an optimal diet began to take shape—one capable of preventing the most dangerous diseases and ensuring a longer, healthier life.
Keys named this diet the “Mediterranean Diet”, observing that countries like Italy, Greece, and Yugoslavia had a higher life expectancy compared to countries such as the United States, Finland, the Netherlands, and Japan.
Since then, researchers from all over the world have conducted numerous scientific studies that have not only confirmed the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet but also described its biochemical, cellular, and molecular mechanisms within our bodies. Thanks to this evidence, the diet has been recognized as an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity”, allowing us to achieve a record that the entire world envies: we are the longest-living country! But how much longer will we remain so?

A TRADITION AT RISK

Unfortunately, today we are beginning to drift away from that dietary tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. Globalization, misinformation, the industrialization of the food supply chain, and advertising—combined with a drastic reduction in physical activity—are leading to an increase in obesity and chronic diseases. Currently, half of Italians are overweight or obese, which poses serious health risks, making them more susceptible to cardiovascular, liver, kidney, metabolic, musculoskeletal, and oncological diseases.
All this is happening in a country where fashion dictates extreme thinness, especially for women, leading to a pressing demand for weight loss among the population. This demand, which cannot be met by the institutions responsible for safeguarding health—since obesity is still not recognized as a chronic epidemic disease—creates space for charlatans, profiteers, and self-proclaimed diet gurus, including some doctors. As a result, instead of solving the problem, the situation is gradually worsening.

The picture becomes even more alarming when considering the total lack of nutritional education: in school, we are taught many subjects, but not how to eat properly. People believe they know how to eat simply because they do it every day and because, in most cases, dietary mistakes do not immediately translate into visible signs or symptoms. Therefore, people only realize their mistakes when the damage is already done. At that point, they turn to diets, becoming prey to those who promise miraculous results in the shortest time possible. However, many of these “random” diets—such as the cabbage soup diet, banana diet, point-based diet, zone diet, blood type diet, traffic light diet, Scarsdale diet, DASH diet, Beverly Hills diet, and diets invented by so-called doctors (Dukan, Atkins, etc.)—lack scientific foundations and are therefore not only ineffective but also dangerous.
Are they effective? Some of them may lead to short-term weight loss, but the effectiveness of a diet should not be measured in the short term but over the long run. If we carefully analyze the results of these diets, we can see that just a few weeks after stopping them, the lost weight is regained, often with additional pounds. This happens due to a harmful mechanism known as the “yo-yo effect”.

Indeed, when weight is lost quickly by drastically reducing calorie intake—even through simple fasting—the lost weight consists of about half fat (which should be lost) and half muscle mass (which should actually be increased, as it is metabolically active). When the lost weight is regained, however, it is 100% fat. If we compare the weight lost and regained, body composition analysis reveals that the individual has actually become fatter than before starting the diet. Therefore, it is better not to lose weight at all than to lose it only to regain it.

WEIGHT LOSS: HOW DO IT RIGHT

Losing weight quickly is very easy—it can even be achieved with “random” diets—but maintaining weight loss over time is much more difficult. This can only be done with the help of experienced, qualified doctors and by adopting evidence-based approaches. A successful intervention must consider diet not as a temporary solution but as a lifestyle to be embraced permanently!

REDISCOVERING THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

To achieve better health, we must return to an active lifestyle and make dietary choices based on rationality and scientifically validated criteria. The Mediterranean Diet, with its balance of nutrients and flavors, remains the best model for preventing obesity and chronic diseases and for living a longer, healthier life. Obtaining information from highly qualified sources is essential to avoid mistakes and embark on a conscious journey toward well-being.

Leggi Food education: the pillar of the fight against obesity>>>

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