@article{918a46bc7420463996039dbc31fc030d,
title = "Mediterranean Diet and Prevention of Chronic Diseases",
abstract = "A large body of research data suggests that traditional dietary habits and lifestyle unique to the Mediterranean region (Mediterranean diet, MD) lower the incidence of chronic diseases and improve longevity. These data contrast with troubling statistics in the United States and other high income countries pointing to an increase in the incidence of chronic diseases and the projected explosion in cost of medical care associated with an aging population. In 2013, the MD was inscribed by UNESCO in the {"}Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.{"} The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans included the MD as a healthy dietary pattern. Therefore, specific objectives of this article are to provide an overview of the nutritional basis of this healthful diet, its metabolic benefits, and its role in multiple aspects of disease prevention and healthy aging. Whereas recommendations about the MD often focus on specific foods or bioactive compounds, we suggest that the eating pattern as a whole likely contributes to the health promoting effects of the MD.",
author = "Romagnolo, {Donato F.} and Selmin, {Ornella I.}",
note = "Funding Information: 12. McCance RA, Widdowson EM, Paul AA, Southgate DA. McCance and Widdowson{\textquoteright}s. The composition of foods. 4th revised and extended ed./by A.A. Paul and D.A.T. Southgate/[for the] Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food [and the] Medical Research Council. edn. H.M.S.O. Amsterdam; Oxford: Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press, London; 1978. Funding Information: Donato F. Romagnolo, PhD, MSc, is professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and The University of Arizona Cancer Center and codirector of The University of Arizona Mediterranean Diet and Health Study Abroad Program. Dr Romagnolo is a collaborator on various research projects related to nutritional prevention of cancer epigenetics. He is a coeditor of a volume entitled {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Mediterranean Diet: Dietary Guidelines and Impact on Health and Disease,{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} which was published as the proceedings of the 2015 Research Frontiers in Nutritional Sciences Conference Series held at The University of Arizona with the grant support of the US Department of Agriculture and is composed of chapter contributions by speakers. Ornella I. Selmin, PhD, is professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and The University of Arizona Cancer Center and co-director of The University of Arizona Mediterranean Diet and Health Study Abroad Program. Dr Selmin is a collaborator on various research projects related to nutritional prevention of cancer epigenetics. She is a coeditor of a volume entitled {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Mediterranean Diet: Dietary Guidelines and Impact on Health and Disease,{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} which was published as the proceedings of the 2015 Research Frontiers in Nutritional Sciences Conference Series held at The University of Arizona with the grant support of the US Department of Agriculture and is composed of chapter contributions by speakers. This study was supported by funding from NIFA (2015-67017-23144, US Department of Agriculture Conference Grant), US Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (W81XWH-14-1-0470), and Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA023074). The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Correspondence: Donato F. Romagnolo, PhD, MSc, Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (donato@u.arizona.edu). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. Copyright * 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. DOI: 10.1097/NT.0000000000000228 Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Copyright 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.",
year = "2017",
month = sep,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1097/NT.0000000000000228",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "52",
pages = "208--222",
journal = "Nutrition Today",
issn = "0029-666X",
publisher = "Lippincott Williams and Wilkins",
number = "5",
}