OLIVE OILS AND HEALTH 208 18.1. What is the Mediterranean Diet? The Mediterranean Sea, which covers approximately 2.5 million square kilometres and borders 23 countries, is home to the three most prominent monotheist religions. Christians, Muslims, and Jews share a common dietary pattern known as the Mediterranean diet. In the late 1950s, Ancel Keys (January 1904-November 2004), a “Minnesota University” professor, and his wife Margaret, published a book with advice and recipes on Greek and Italian dishes in which they praised the benefits of this diet compared to the Western dietary pattern and the North American (USA) Fast Food one. The book resounded in the USA press, the term Mediterranean Diet (MD) was coined, and its scientific history commenced. The Mediterranean Diet, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is characterised by a high intake of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes and nuts, and moderate amounts of fish, meat, eggs, and wine. The MD is not, however, only a pattern of eating habits, which itself presents benefits from an epidemiological and public health point of view, but also constitutes a lifestyle and a cultural heritage that contributes to the preservation of the territory, promoting local production, and thereby contributing to environmental sustainability. From the Seven Countries Study to the PREDIMED study, the Mediterranean Diet demonstrates a protective role against cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, dementias, breast cancer and obesity, among other pathologies. Additionally, according to the scientific evidence, EVOO has been identified as the main vehicle that sustains the benefits of this diet as well as being a key element of its gastronomies. EVOO is the key element unifying the MD and which characterises its gastronomic status. In recent decades, researchers have demonstrated the MD health benefits protecting against cardiovascular disease, hypertension, depression, dementia, obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and several types of cancer. EVOO is the natural juice from olives. As a 100% olive juice with all its nutritional properties it is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) which represent 65-85% of its total fatty acid content. It also has phenolic compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as has been extensively explained in this publication. EVOO has a high resistance to oxidative damage It is therefore recommended not only for raw purposes, but also for frying (immersing food in hot oil) a culinary technique largely employed in the Mediterranean basin. Due to its phys-
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