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The relationship between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and reduced mortality or a lower incidence of major chronic diseases has been widely studied. The purpose of this study was to assess the adherence of a Lebanese adult sample to the Mediterranean diet.

This cross-sectional dietary survey involved a Lebanese population sample aged 19 to 70 years. A total of 615 men and women were asked to fill a diet history questionnaire (144 items), assisted by trained nutrition research assistants. Data were analyzed and compared to the Mediterranean diet recommendations, and the Mediterranean diet score, a ten-point scale based on above and below median levels of consumption, was estimated.

There was no significant difference in terms of adherence between men and women participants below the age of 30 years, while women over 30 years had a poorer score than men within this age group. The surveyed sample was found to have a 4.2 Mediterranean diet score and, thus, has a low adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern. Consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, legumes and nuts of this Lebanese sample met the Mediterranean diet recommendations, while whole grains, poultry and fish consumption was lower than the recommended Mediterranean diet intake, and meat consumption was found to be much higher than what was recommended.

Facing the fast increase in non-communicable disease incidence, and with a more spread Western-type culture, it is central to raise awareness about the role of traditional Mediterranean diet in preventing and protecting against these diseases. This study contributes to the limited literature on the adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Lebanon.

The purpose of this paper is to review the Mediterranean diet and its association to disease and health benefits derived from the adherence to it.

The review includes the most updated studies found in PubMed all in relation to the adaptation of the Mediterranean diet.

The cardioprotection of Mediterranean diet has been established. A number of cancer types could be prevented by following the Mediterranean type diet and the specific ingredients of it are also investigated to find their impact on health. Longevity is also favored by the adoption of this dietary pattern as is the population group diagnosed with metabolic syndrome and mental health disorders. The results about its consumption and obesity need further investigation. Patients with HIV, being on specific treatment, are advised not to follow the Mediterranean diet.

This paper gives a concise, up‐to‐date overview to nutritionists and dietitians on the Mediterranean diet and its relation to health and disease.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate the Greek version of the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS).

The MEDAS was translated to the Greek language forward and backward, twice and subsequently was administered to 50 healthy adult participants living in Attica, Greece. The participants had to complete the tool twice, within a period of 15 days. Participants also completed the well-recognized Mediterranean Diet Score (MedDietScore), for comparison purposes with the tested tool. Socioeconomic and anthropometric characteristics were also assessed.

There was a moderate association between the Greek MEDAS (MEDAS-Gr) and the MedDietScore [(Pearson r = 0.50, p < 0.001; Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC)=0.46, p = 0.015)]. The concordance between these two questionnaires varied between the items (Intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.62 for fruit at the highest and −0.09 for alcohol consumption). The Cronbach’s a coefficient of reliability for the Greek MEDAS was good (a = 0.62). The two administrations of the MEDAS-Gr produced similar mean total scores (7.6 vs 7.9, p = 0.090), which were correlated (r = 0.71, p < 0.001; ICC = 0.85, p < 0.001) and agreed substantially [k statistic (k)=0.72, 95% CI 0.54–0.89, p < 0.001)].

The MEDAS-Gr seems to be a valid tool for assessing adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the Greek population.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the adherence and abandonment of the Turkish emerging adults in an Izmir University located at western Mediterranean coast of Turkey and to assess potential associations with anthropometric characteristics.

A cross-sectional survey (n=494, 18–27 years) carried out in 2017 among emerging adults in University. KIDMED Index was used to assess the degree of adherence Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet). The associations of KIDMED scores with demographic, residency and anthropometric were separately reported. The data were collected through standardized questionnaires directly from participants.

The average KIDMED score was calculated 4.86±2.5. Optimum adherence to the MedDiet was found only in 13.0 percent of participants, whereas 32.6 percent had poor adherence levels. Considering self-reported anthropometric data, the BMI values of the population was calculated as 22.3±3.9 kg/m². In population, 13.9 percent of the subjects were underweight, while 16.0 percent were overweight and 3.9 percent obese. A significant association was found between BMI and KIDMED scores both in genders and residency.

This is the first study reporting the level of adherence to the MedDiet among Turkish emerging adults in terms of residency during education and the first KIDMED study conducted in Izmir located at Aegean Sea. The results support previously proposed transition concept by several scholar from different Mediterranean countries: it was found that only 13 percent of young adults having desired dietary habits in an Aegean city with local traditional cuisine highly affected by Cretan cuisine. These results are significant for University managements and health authorities in order to take actions for returning this transition contrariwise beginning with these groups.

Many studies revealed positive health impacts of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), especially on metabolic disorders. Conversely, in Lebanon, recent information about determinants of adherence to the MedDiet are limited. This study aimed to examine the individual determinants of MedDiet adherence among adults in Lebanon.

A cross-sectional study was carried out during July 2021 among a convenient sample of 326 Lebanese adults. Data from participants were collected via an online survey developed by study researchers, composed of two well-structured questionnaires: a background questionnaire and a 14-item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (14-MEDAS).

The mean MedDiet score in the total sample was 7.59 ± 2.22, reflecting moderate/fair MedDiet adherence. Consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes and olive oil met the recommended MedDiet intake among most participants. Older age and having a regular routine of physical activity emerged as significant independent determinants of better MedDiet adherence.

Future public health interventions aiming at promoting MedDiet adherence shall target predominantly younger age groups of the Lebanese population and incorporate strategies to boost physical activity among target groups.

The purpose of this paper is to inform readers of the cultural and scientific basis of the Mediterranean diet.

This review was compiled using peer reviewed articles and with the support of Oldways, the non‐profit organisation responsible for designing the Mediterranean diet pyramid in association with Harvard School of Public Health. It is designed to create a resource, which could be disseminated within the food industry to stimulate debate and an understanding of the commercial opportunities for products based on the Mediterranean diet.

From the review of information on the subject there is compelling evidence of the benefits of a Mediterranean diet having a beneficial effect on health status with a reduction in conditions such as coronary heart disease and cancers.

This is a literature review based on large studies of the Mediterranean diet and is not an intervention study.

It is hoped that the food industry can consider the scientific and market research evidence presented and, through innovation and new brand development, offer the possibility of products, which will promote choice and access to increasingly healthy foods.

The compilation of evidence citing the benefits of the Mediterranean diet supports an easily adapted and flavourful diet with numerous health benefits. For the food industry it provides an original concept designed to support the research and development of new initiatives to promote healthy food products.

The benefits of the Mediterranean diet are shown to have significant benefits on health and are easily implemented.

The purpose of this study is to assess the adherence to MedDiet among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis, using the validated 14-item MedDiet assessment tool.

A quantitative research approach, based on the distribution of an online survey throughout the social media platforms, via networking, was the applied method. The structure of the survey included the socio-economic and demographic data along with the weekly adherence to physical activity; and the validated MedDiet assessment tool. The target population included 1,030 Lebanese adults from all provinces. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the characteristics of the sample population. Adherence to the MedDiet was determined by the Med-Diet score ≥ 9. Significant differences among the variables and the adherence to the MedDiet were examined using the chi-square test.

Mean adherence to the MedDiet was found to be lower than an adequate score among 60.8% of participants [mean adherence 8/14 < 9 (S.D. 2.2)]. Participants from North Province, those aged 45 years and above, university graduates, participants with an average income and those who exercised for a minimum of 30 min for three times/week had a higher mean of adherence compared to other groups. Higher percentage of those who exercised had adequate adherence compared to those who exercised less or did not. More than 50% of the participants consumed olive oil, vegetables, red meat, butter/margarine, sugary drinks, commercial sweets and sofrito according to recommendations. Less than 50% of the participants consumed fruits, nuts, fish and wine according to the MedDiet standards. More men consumed fruits (55.1%), wine (21%), fish (29%) and nuts (48.5%) than women according to the MedDiet recommendations; however, more women consumed legumes (69.7%) and Sofrito (88.4%) than men, in addition more women preferred consuming chicken over meat (72.3%).

The findings call for an urgent need of spreading national awareness among adult population in Lebanon to increase the adherence to MedDiet. To add, information gained from this study serve to help understanding nutritional behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis, so public health authorities can start planning to save the threatened health-care system and preserve the wellness of the population.

This study aims to identify the dietary patterns of two groups of subjects (with and without COVID-19), and to assess the relationship of findings with the prognosis of COVID-19 and metabolic risk parameters.

This study included 100 individuals in the age range of 19–65 years. The medical history, and data on biochemical, hematological and inflammatory indicators were retrieved from the files. A questionnaire for the 24-h food record and the food intake frequency was administered in face-to-face interviews, and dietary patterns of subjects were assessed.

In individuals with COVID-19, the hip circumference, the waist-hip ratio and the body fat percentage were significantly higher (p < 0.05), and the muscle mass percentage was significantly lower (p < 0.05). Mediterranean diet adherence screener (MEDAS), dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) and healthy eating ındex-2015 (HEI-2015) scores were low in the two groups. A linear correlation of DASH scores was found with the muscle mass percentage (p = 0.046) and a significant inverse correlation of with the body fat percentage (p = 0.006). HEI-2015 scores were significantly and negatively correlated with body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference and neck circumference (p < 0.05). Every one-unit increase in MEDAS, DASH and HEI-2015 scores caused reductions in C-reactive protein levels at different magnitudes. Troponin-I was significantly and negatively correlated with fruit intake (p = 0.044), a component of a Mediterranean diet and with HEI-2015 total scores (p = 0.032).

The limitation of this study includes the small sample size and the lack of dietary interventions. Another limitation is the use of the food recall method for the assessment of dietary patterns. This way assessments were performed based on participants’ memory and statements.

Following a healthy diet pattern can help reduce the metabolic risks of COVİD-19 disease.

Despite these limitations, this study is valuable because, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first study demonstrating the association of dietary patterns with disease prognosis and metabolic risks concerning COVID-19. This study suggests that dietary patterns during the COVID-19 process may be associated with several metabolic risks and inflammatory biomarkers.

The Mediterranean Diet (MD) is an expression of different Mediterranean food cultures and lifestyles. It is characterized by high consumption of olive oil, vegetables, legumes, whole grain products, fruits and nuts. This paper aims to emphasize on the evolution of human diet from earliest human ancestors to current civilization, the effect of MD on human health and the role of globalization to shift traditional diet, particularly MD to processed foods.

Different published papers were collected from the internet by using the following phrases: evolution of human diet, human ancestors, the effect of globalization on a regional diet, Mediterranean diet, healthy food, food pyramid, evolution of human diet and effect of globalization on diet. Finally, the papers were read and summarized as a review paper.

MD has been accepted worldwide owing to its health impact such as prevention and control of type 2 diabetes, anti-inflammatory effects and decrease in the risk of cardiovascular diseases and incidence of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. However, in conjunction with this discordance between our ancient, genetically determined biology and the nutritional, cultural and activity patterns of contemporary Western populations, many of the so-called diseases of civilization have emerged. Particularly, the food staples and food-processing procedures introduced during the Neolithic and Industrial periods have fundamentally altered nutritional characteristics of ancestral hominin diets. MD is currently under the risk of extinction for a result of the effects of globalization.

The review paper focuses on the evolution of human diet as an effect of globalization on the regional diet with emphasis on the MD. It specifically focuses on the link between diet and earliest human ancestors, about MD and its health benefit, diet pyramid and effect of globalization on regional diet.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate the role of the main socioeconomic and demographic factors in affecting the consumption frequency of specific food categories with a view to highlighting differences across population segments. Second, to analyze whether socioeconomic status (SES) is ultimately related to the overall level of adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) of the Italian population.

Data were obtained from the Italian Household Survey covering about 36.000 individuals (18 years old and older). The Household Survey includes questions aimed at eliciting the consumption frequency of the main food items of the MD pyramid. Moreover, to assess the degree of adherence to the MD, the authors constructed an index (MDI) aimed at reflecting how much individuals follow the MD pyramid recommendations.

The results show that both socioeconomic and demographic factors play a relevant role in affecting the consumption frequency of the main food categories of the MD pyramid. More affluent people consume fish, fruit and vegeFis, wine and beer more frequently than their poorer counterparts. Moreover, higher income is associated with the lower consumption of meat and eggs, dairy products, cereals and starchy vegetables as well as legumes.

The results foster the debate on how to guarantee healthy food accessibility to all population segments, thus having relevant implications in terms of food and health policies. The issue of MD adherence in Italy and its relationship with SES has been previously investigated on the basis of regional data, which make it difficult to extend the results to larger contexts, particularly in a country like Italy with remarkable socioeconomic differences between northern and southern regions.