Abstract
In the last decade, a number of meta-analyses of mostly observational studies evaluated the relation between the intake of food groups and the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). In this study, we systematically reviewed dose-response meta-analyses of prospective studies with the aim to derive the quantities of food to consume to attain a protective (Mediterranean food) or a non-adverse (non-Mediterranean food) effect toward selected NCDs such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) including coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), colorectal (CRC) and breast cancer. These derived quantities, wherever possible, were suggested for a quantification of food servings of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid proposed for Italian People (MDPPI). This pyramid came from the Modern Mediterranean Diet Pyramid developed in 2009 for Italian people. A weekly menu plan was built on the advice about frequency of intakes and serving sizes of such pyramid and the nutritional composition of this diet was compared with the Reference Italian Mediterranean Diet followed in 1960 in Nicotera. The diet built according the advice of MDPPI was very similar to that of Nicotera in the late 1950s that has been chosen as Italian Reference Mediterranean Diet with the exception of percentage of energy provided by cereals that was lower and of fruits and vegetables that was higher. Saturated fatty acids were only the 6% of daily energy intake. Also the Mediterranean Adequacy Index (MAI) was very similar to that of the aforementioned diet.
Highlights
According to the 2018 Global Health Observatory Data of the World Health Organization (WHO), noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2DM), cancer and chronic respiratory diseases represent the leading cause of death in the world [1]
We searched on Medline and Google Scholar for dose-response meta-analyses investigating the association between food groups of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid proposed for Italian People (MDPPI) such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, cheese, yogurt, nuts, olive oil, herbs, spices, fish, legumes, eggs, refined grains, sweets/cakes/cookies, potatoes, red meat, processed meat, poultry, and red wine, on CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, T2DM, CRC, and breast cancer risk, up to December 2018
No dose-response meta-analyses were identified for spice and herb intake and CVD, CHD, stroke, T2DM, CRC and breast cancer
Summary
According to the 2018 Global Health Observatory Data of the World Health Organization (WHO), noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2DM), cancer and chronic respiratory diseases represent the leading cause of death in the world [1]. Some lifestyle modifications and among them the adoption of healthy dietary choices as well as increasing the intake of fresh fruit and vegetable, whole grains and healthy fats, represent useful measures for the prevention of NCDs [3]. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee included the Mediterranean Diet among highly beneficial dietary patterns for the prevention of overweight and obesity, CVD, T2DM, CRC and Nutrients 2019, 11, 1296; doi:10.3390/nu11061296 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients. The Mediterranean Diet is a dietary pattern that was identified in the early 1960s in South Italy, Crete and other areas of Greece [6]. At that time the food intake habits of three cohorts of the Seven
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