MAGI EUREGIO, Bolzano, Italy.
MAGI'S LAB, Rovereto (TN), Italy.
J Prev Med Hyg. 2022 Oct 17;63(2 Suppl 3):E28-E35. doi: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2S3.2744. eCollection 2022 Jun.
The Mediterranean diet proved to be one of the healthiest diets in the word. It has several beneficial effects and it prevents many non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity. Before being a culinary regime, the Mediterranean diet is characterized by specific cultural heritages and traditions, also influencing the lifestyle of the populations. The Mediterranean diet follows the so-called food pyramid, comprising several food combinations. Indeed, it is mainly composed by vegetables, fish and dairy products, while red meat and sweets are poorly consumed. Processed foods are mainly avoided, apart from lacto-fermented ones, the first processed foods consumed by humans. Food fermentation by microorganisms not only improves the functionality of bioactive metabolites, but also increases the shelf life and organoleptic properties of the food. Lactic acid bacteria play a vital role in transforming the food constituents, thereby enhancing their nutritional and functional properties. In addition, these foods introduce beneficial bacteria into gut microbiota, thus maintaining a healthy gut microbiome and corresponding gut-brain axis, thus providing an overall improvement in health and a reduced risk of non-communicable diseases and metabolic disorders. This review will focus on the Mediterranean diet, on its characterising food pyramid and food combinations, and on lacto-fermented foods, one of the components of the Mediterranean diet with the most beneficial effects.
地中海饮食被证明是世界上最健康的饮食之一。它有多种有益的作用，可以预防许多非传染性疾病，如癌症、心血管疾病和肥胖症。地中海饮食首先是一种特定的文化遗产和传统，也影响着人们的生活方式，然后才是一种烹饪制度。地中海饮食遵循所谓的食物金字塔，包括几种食物组合。事实上，它主要由蔬菜、鱼类和奶制品组成，而红肉和甜食的摄入量则较低。除了最初被人类食用的发酵乳制品外，加工食品主要被避免。微生物对食品的发酵不仅改善了生物活性代谢物的功能，而且延长了食品的保质期和感官特性。乳酸菌在转化食物成分方面起着至关重要的作用，从而增强了它们的营养和功能特性。此外，这些食物将有益细菌引入肠道微生物群，从而维持健康的肠道微生物组和相应的肠道-大脑轴，从而全面改善健康，降低非传染性疾病和代谢紊乱的风险。本文将重点介绍地中海饮食、其特征性的食物金字塔和食物组合，以及发酵乳制品，这是地中海饮食中最有益的成分之一。
