The Federico II University of Naples is launching a global research project to adapt the Mediterranean diet to the foods of different regions of the world.
The Mediterranean diet has been ranked the world's best on multiple occasions by the U.S. News&World Report, which every year compares more than forty dietary regimes in widespread use around the world. Its "limitation", however, is that the foods that characterise it are typical, precisely, of Mediterranean countries: for this reason, a group of scholars from the Unesco Chair at the Federico II University of Naples has had the idea of launching an international research project to adapt the Mediterranean diet to the culinary traditions and foods of different countries around the world, so that everyone can have access to a healthy and sustainable nutritional model.
The Mediterranean diet, declared a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, is based on the widespread consumption of wholegrains, legumes, vegetables, fresh fruit and nuts, extra virgin olive oil and on the intake of fish, dairy products, eggs and minimal amounts of meat, cured meats and sweets. Numerous studies have demonstrated its benefits, associating this dietary regime with a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.
Not only that: the Mediterranean diet also represents a sustainable dietary regime because, according to the food pyramid it refers to, the foods recommended for consumption in greater quantities are those with the lowest environmental impact, while those to be consumed in moderation, such as meat, are also the ones whose production has negative consequences for the environment and for climate change.
The researchers' intention is therefore to promote a healthy and sustainable dietary model on a global scale, based on the nutritional properties of the Mediterranean diet, but implemented at a local level using the food products available in different regions of the world. "Planerranean is the name we propose for this new dietary model, which would be consistent with the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations in the 2030 Agenda," reads the publication in Nature.
The scholars have already identified several foods with which the Mediterranean diet could be adapted in different parts of the world: in Latin America, avocado, papaya, green bananas and açaí berries represent good sources of monounsaturated fatty acids, micronutrients and polyphenols, while certain cereals from central Africa, such as tapioca and teff, are thought to promote the production of short-chain fatty acids, as occurs with the wholegrains typical of the Mediterranean diet.
Sesame seeds and soya, traditionally used in Asia, contain bioactive compounds and antioxidant substances capable of reducing hypertension, oxidative stress, insulin resistance and inflammatory markers. Marine macroalgae and spirulina, widely consumed in Eastern countries, represent an important source of complex polysaccharides, minerals, proteins and vitamins, with anticancer, antiviral, antioxidant, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory properties.
"On this basis, we believe that the vegetables, fruit, cereals and unsaturated fats available in different parts of the world can be combined to develop evidence-based local nutritional paradigms. We aim to define several 'nutritional pyramids', based on locally available foods, that present the same nutritional properties and health benefits — together with environmentally friendly production processes — observed for the Mediterranean diet."
Researchers from around the world are therefore invited to contribute to this research programme, which will be launched through a dedicated platform.