Chapter 6 - Mediterranean lifestyle: Linking social life and behaviors, residential environment, and cardiovascular disease prevention

Abstract

The Mediterranean diet was first described by the Seven Countries Study in the 1960s as a cardioprotective diet, as a pattern of eating that was traditionally prevalent among residents of the Mediterranean basin countries. Since then the Mediterranean dietary pattern has been extensively described and explored with respect to its health benefits and has been identified as one of the healthier diets in the world, being associated including in some cases causally as protective against cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, some cancer, mental health issues, cognitive decline, etc. While attempts have been made to explain the protective aspects of Mediterranean diet, research groups and foundations including the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have extended the definition of Mediterranean diet to be a holistic entity: the Mediterranean lifestyle. The cornerstone of the Mediterranean lifestyle not only is based upon the traditional Mediterranean diet but also extends to include food preparation, food sharing, harvesting, eating locally and seasonally, and socializing often and with all age groups and social classes while eating together. Although these behaviors are integral aspects of Mediterranean culture, the Mediterranean lifestyle requires thorough investigation to be exported outside of its Mediterranean cradle and offer its protectiveness worldwide.