Dietary diversity in Mediterranean countries is characterized by amino acid and fatty acid profiles

The dietary patterns of Mediterranean countries, widely recognized as a healthy eating pattern, is often perceived as a uniform entity; however, it is, in reality, a complex amalgamation of distinct food cultures across different countries.

To elucidate the dietary diversity within the Mediterranean region through detailed nutritional analysis.

The analysis targeted six countries: Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, and Croatia. Estimated average intake (mg/1,000 kcal) and food source profiles of 18 amino acids (AA) and 19 fatty acids (FA) were determined by integrating national dietary survey data with standardized nutrient databases. Exploratory clustering and principal component analyses were conducted, including data from Japan and the United States, to preliminarily capture similarities and differences in AA and FA profiles.

The six-country average AA intake was highest for glutamic acid, accounting for 20.9% of the total. For FA, 18:1 was the most abundant 44.5%, followed by 18:2 and 16:0. Clustering analysis showed that while AA profiles exhibited little inter-country variation, FA profilesshowed more pronounced differences, suggesting that diet has a major impact on FA composition. Specifically, n-3 FA intake tended to be higher in Portugal, Spain, and Japan, whereas the other four Mediterranean countries and the United States were grouped within a lower-intake group.

This study demonstrates that the dietary patterns observed in Mediterranean countries are not a monolithic model but rather exhibit distinct region-specific characteristics. These descriptive findings highlight the importance of considering quantified nutritional diversity when characterizing regional dietary patterns.