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Biofactors in the Mediterranean diet.

Mariette Gerber¹

¹Groupe d'Epidémiologie métaboliques, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie, INSERM-CRLC, Montpellier, France. marietger@valdorel.fnclcc.fr

Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine

|September 11, 2003

Summary

The Mediterranean diet is rich in essential vitamins and microconstituents that support human health. These compounds, including hydrosoluble vitamins and provitamins A, offer antioxidant benefits and may protect against chronic diseases.

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Area of Science:

Nutrition Science
Human Health
Dietary Studies

Background:

Micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals, are vital for human health, with deficiencies still prevalent globally.
Vitamins were initially identified through deficiency diseases, but their roles extend to chronic degenerative diseases.
The Mediterranean diet is recognized for its rich content of various micronutrients and plant-derived microconstituents.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the sources and human health effects of micronutrients found in the Mediterranean diet.
To explore the roles of both essential vitamins and non-nutritional microconstituents.
To highlight the potential protective effects of these dietary components against chronic diseases.

Main Methods:

Literature review synthesizing information on vitamins, minerals, and microconstituents.
Analysis of the nutritional composition of the Mediterranean diet.
Examination of scientific evidence regarding the health impacts of identified dietary components.

Main Results:

The Mediterranean diet is abundant in hydrosoluble vitamins (e.g., folic acid, vitamin C) and provitamins A (carotenoids).
Vitamin E contributes to antioxidant and cellular functions.
Microconstituents, though non-nutritional, show promise for antioxidant defense and enzyme activity modulation in humans.

Conclusions:

The Mediterranean diet provides a rich array of vitamins and microconstituents beneficial for human health.
These compounds, particularly hydrosoluble vitamins and carotenoids, may play a role in preventing chronic degenerative diseases.
Further research is needed to understand the synergistic effects of multiple biofactors within the Mediterranean diet.

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