Diet patterns and health problems: diet in southern Europe

The diet of the populations in southern Europe, particularly those living in the Mediterranean areas, was characterized by a relatively higher consumption of fish, olive oil, vegetables and fruit and by a lower consumption of meat and animal fat. In terms of nutrients the most significant difference between the Mediterranean type of diet and the diet of continental and northern European populations was in the consumption of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and to a lesser degree in the intake of protein, sugar and alcohol, as well as in regard to the dietary fiber content. Since the Mediterranean populations have shown a lower total mortality rate as well as a specific mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) which in part could be explained by their dietary habits, the Mediterranean diet has often been proposed as a prototype on which dietary measures for the prevention of CHD in populations should be developed. However, more recent data indicate that in the last 20 years the food pattern of the Mediterranean populations was subjected to substantial changes, particularly in regard to the increase in meat and dairy product consumption which in turn has resulted in an increase in the percentage of energy of saturated fats and which has also affected the ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fatty acids. These changes have also affected some of the risk factors of CHD in those populations.