One wonders why, to talk about the Mediterranean Diet, one can start from a village that is almost unknown to most people; the answer is by no means obvious, but it inextricably associates the Marche region with one of the world's most famous diets.
The structure of the diet is represented through the now famous food pyramid.
The latter consists of three sections: the first, coinciding with the base, refers to the major source of caloric resources that the individual can use. We are talking about predominantly vegetarian foods, such as cereals, especially wholegrains, seasonal fruit, vegetables, vegetable-based condiments, such as olive oil and oily nuts, moderate wine consumption and abundant use of water and herbal teas.
The second layer is occupied by legumes, dairy products, eggs, white meat, fish and, sporadically, red meat. These foods should be eaten alternately during the weekly cycle.
At the top of the structure are salt, simple sugars, over-refined cereals, spirits, margarines, butter and solid animal fats.
The countries taken into consideration were also analysed and appreciated for the well-being rate, as defined above, and the longevity rate of the population. With reference to this last aspect, the most virtuous states turned out to be Greece, Italy, Croatia and Japan. In Italy, studies were conducted in Campania, Calabria, Emilia-Romagna and Marche; it was in the municipality of Montegiorgio that the highest longevity data was found. The analysis of the data from this study led to the establishment of an excellent level of quality of life in our region, based on a balanced dietary style, right from the surveys carried out in the small municipality.
PRODUCTION AND THE CERTIFICATE
Longevity and well-being are also synonymous with the absence of disease, which the diet described above minimises. In particular, the same studies have noted a low incidence of many common ailments in populations that have been assigned a lower dietary ranking: less digestive difficulties, low incidence of diabetes, low levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, less fatigued livers, little arterial hypertension, almost total absence of annoyances related to kidney failure, as well as urinary tract infections, an excellent expulsion of faeces that prevents constipation from lazy bowel and related infections, reduced occurrence of headaches due to dietary disorders, skin protection and cancer prevention.
LATER STUDIES
So far, we have outlined the research results on the Mediterranean diet that have led to this lifestyle being associated with well-being and longevity, but there are also other aspects to consider.
Paul Crutzen, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 and a leading expert in atmospheric chemistry, has shown in his studies that the food pyramid has an inversely proportional impact on the atmosphere with respect to the amplitude of the layers mentioned above. Food consumed more frequently therefore produces fewer greenhouse gases, a more limited exploitation of the soil, less water wastage, a reduced use of pesticides, energy savings and, consequently, a moderate economic cost, if we try to compare the Italian diet to the American one, which impacts the environment with more than double the CO2 emissions.
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