The Mediterranean Diet: An Update of the Clinical Trials

The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is a term used to identify a dietary pattern originating from the unique multi-millennial interplay between natural food resources and the eating practices of people living in the Mediterranean basin. Scientific evidence has described the healthy properties of the Me...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrients 2022-07, Vol.14 (14), p.2956
Main Authors: Finicelli, Mauro, Di Salle, Anna, Galderisi, Umberto, Peluso, Gianfranco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antioxidants
Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular diseases
Clinical nutrition
Clinical trials
Dietary fiber
Food resources
Fruits
Grain
Inflammation
Mediterranean Diet
metabolic diseases
Metabolic disorders
Metabolites
Natural & organic foods
Nutrition
Nutrition research
Nutrition therapy
Olive oil
Oxidants
Oxidative stress
Oxidizing agents
Polyphenols
Population studies
Public health
Review
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Summary:The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is a term used to identify a dietary pattern originating from the unique multi-millennial interplay between natural food resources and the eating practices of people living in the Mediterranean basin. Scientific evidence has described the healthy properties of the MedDiet and its beneficial role in several pathological conditions. Nevertheless, current socio-economic trends have moved people away from this healthy lifestyle. Thus, clinical and biological evidence supporting the benefits of the MedDiet is needed to overcome these limitations. Clinical nutrition research examines the effects of dietary interventions on biological or health-related outcomes in a determined study population. The evidence produced by these studies is useful for dietary guidance and public health messaging. We provided an update of the clinical trials registered on the database clinicaltrials.gov evaluating the effects of the MedDiet on health and specific diseases. Our findings revealed an increased number of clinical trials in the last decade and found that most disease-related studies focused on cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and cancer. The majority of MedDiet’s beneficial effects could be primarily related to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties as well as the effectiveness of this dietary pattern in controlling waist circumference and obesity. Moreover, strict and long-lasting adherence to the MedDiet as well as the beneficial effects of specific components (e.g., olive oil or its polyphenols) seem to emerge as useful insights for interventional improvements. These findings present further insights into the MedDiet’s resources and how it could strengthen overall public health.
ISSN:2072-6643
2072-6643
DOI:10.3390/nu14142956