Mediterranean Diet: Challenges and Considerations

Spaid and Portugal: Implementation of the Mediterranean Diet

Spain could be seen as a typical example of efficient implementation of the Mediterranean diet followed by relatively strong scientific evidence. The positive impacts of the diet have been justified for a broad range of age groups. This implies that in order to carry out actions to encourage higher adherence to the diet, efforts must be made to address the risk groups, and general promotion programs should also include the general public to achieve more success in leading the population back to the past trend of a traditional healthy and balanced diet. Olive oil and plant-based foods, the central components of the Mediterranean diet, has been referred to in scientific research as a preventive determinant of breast cancer due to their effects on the development of metabolism and restricting influence on the detrimental harms of oxidative DNA damage on cells. Nevertheless, the impacts of the Mediterranean diet do not just revolve around olive oil or fruits and vegetables as the well-known pyramid of the diet suggests a far more all-inclusive pattern of high intake of olive oil, high consumption of plant-based foods, low to moderate consumption of fish and low intake of saturated fat, processed and red meat. In addition, the protective outcome of the diet should be supported by low consumption of alcohol and a physically active lifestyle.

On the other hand, Portugal, also a Mediterranean country, did have a tricky issue of low adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Among the possible underlying mechanisms, the lack of knowledge on cancer could be the factor associated with a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer, especially for young women as they would have such a limited amount of cognitive resources to guide their behaviors, in this case, dietary behaviors. Even though sufficient awareness does not guarantee that the population would certainly follow the diet, reliable sources of knowledge would definitely provide helpful information for them to construct their own healthy lifestyle with a healthy and balanced diet. To be able to do this, the general public should be granted access to a constructive and insightful platform whose information they can possibly rely on for preliminary advice.

Influence on Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet

Furthermore, other problems hindering adherence to the Mediterranean diet include the transition in food composition partially due to the trends in food availability. With the enlarging impact of globalization and economic growth, there have been considerable changes in the supply of foods as well as dietary behaviors. The gradual transition from a healthy Mediterranean diet of monounsaturated fat, plant-based food, and seafood to a Westernised diet rich in saturated fat, meat, and dairy products also signals a possible rise in the incidence of diet-related diseases for the lipid and protein intake have been on a constant upward trend following the popularisation of westernized diet. It is also noteworthy that the economic downturn could also be an important driver of this shift as some main ingredients of the Mediterranean diet with high quality were no longer affordable for a large part of the population. Instead, for a number of low-income households, cheap processed and instant foods, cheap meat and cheese ended up being their only choice. Therefore, it can be said that socioeconomic status plays a prominent role in the formation and development of dietary habits and options that come with the population’s range of income.

Role in Shaping Dietary Habits and Adherence

Nevertheless, this paper does not consider the differences in each age group in relation to adherence to the Mediterranean diet or the effects that may not be applicable to a certain target group in the larger population, hence resulting in the highly general perspective of the topic. The paper analyses only two issues with low adherence and thus may present a prevailing facet of Portugal society in terms of dietary patterns, leaving other dimensions unexplored. Besides, the lack of direct evidence within the national context can raise questions about the strength of the evidence. There was substantial inconsistency in the published time of the referred articles, making the paper subject to outdated information. Moreover, possibly due to the effect of snowball sampling, the contents may remain biased as there are not many remarkable differences or conflicts of perspectives. Even though the topic of effects and adherence to the Mediterranean diet is not a new field of study, the disparities in the amount of solid scientific research in Europe are still a dilemma to be solved in the long run. Thus, additional investigation into the rationale of society and the health system of nations with a high prevalence of diet-related diseases is incredibly appreciated.  

Works Cited

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2. Casas, R., Sacanella, E., Urpi-Sarda, M., et al. (2018). Long-Term Immunomodulatory Effects of a Mediterranean Diet in Adults at High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Nutrition, 148(4), 524-531.
3. UNESCO. (2010). The Mediterranean diet. Retrieved from https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/the-mediterranean-diet-00884
4. European Food Safety Authority. (2010). Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to polyphenols in olive and protection of LDL particles from oxidative damage (ID 1333, 1638, 1639, 1696, 2865), maintenance of normal blood HDL cholesterol concentrations (ID 1639), maintenance of normal blood pressure (ID 3781), 'anti-inflammatory properties' (ID 1882), 'contributes to the upper respiratory tract health' (ID 3468), 'can help to maintain a normal function of gastrointestinal tract' (3779), and 'contributes to body defenses against external agents' (ID 3467) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal, 8(9), 1740.
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