OLIVE OILS AND HEALTH 210 nopathy, peripheral arterial disease, and breast cancer risk. Such effects were greater in the group supplemented with EVOO than in that with nuts, with the exception of depression and Alzheimer’s disease (Figure 18.1) Cardiovascular disease Heart failure Auricular fibrillation Peripheral artery disease Diabetes mellitus Diabetic retinopathy Diabetic nephropathy Without hypoglycaemic medication Depression Breast cancer -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 % of risk reduction ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns MD+EVOO MD+nuts HR (IC 95%) 0.69 (0.53-0.91) 0.72 (0.54-0.95) 0.63 (0.38-1.04) 0.91 (0.55-1.50) 0.62 (0.45-0.85) 0.89 (0.65-1.20) 0.32 (0.19-0.56) 0.51 (0.32-0.83) 0.60 (0.43-0.85) 0.82 (0.61-1.10) 0.57 (0.33-0.98) 0.62 (0.34-1.11) 1.22 (0.83-1.81) 1.15 (0.76-1.73) 0.78 (0.62-0.98) 0.89 (0.71-1.12) 0.85 (0.62-1.15) 0.73 (0.52-1.03) 0.32 (0.13-0.79) 0.59 (0.26-1.35) N 7447 7403 6705 7435 3541 3614 3614 3230 3923 4282 Figure 18.1. Risk reduction percentage for several pathologies in the PREDIMED study according to the treatment group (MD+ EVOO or MD+ nuts) in comparison with the low-fat control diet. The % of risk reduction has been calculated as: 100 (1-HR) % and represents the reduction in the instantaneous risk for the assessed events, or their reduction rate. ns: non-significant; N: number of individuals; MD: Mediterranean diet; EVOO, extra virgin olive oil; HR: Hazard ratio. 18.3. Mediterranean Diet, culture, and lifestyle The Greek word diaita signifies lifestyle, and the MD has come to represent a cultural element promoting social interaction. Shared meals are the cornerstone for social customs and the celebration of festivities. It is a way to understand life and build relationships through the pleasure of having meals together. In the words of Plutarch “We do not sit at table only to eat food, but to eat food together.” The MD is a cultural model based on the way food is selected, produced, processed, distributed, and consumed. It is a universal expression of conviviality, dialogue, and respect for diversity. The MD is a set of skills, knowledge, practices, and traditions related to human alimentation. It goes from farm to fork, including cultivars, harvests, and fishing, as well as food maintenance, processing, and preparation, and, of course, its consumption. The MD is the source of a mass of knowledge, songs, proverbs, tales, and legends. It is rooted in an attitude of respect for land and biodiversity and ■ ■ -1 - 1 -
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