Recommendations

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Recommendations

• From the First International EGEA Conference on
  Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
• Crete, June 2003

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• More than 100 scientists from19 countries
  representing5 continents were gathered fromJune
  5th 8th 2003 to present and discuss the latest
  advances on health benefits of the Mediterranean
  diet with special focus on cancer and
  cardiovascular diseases.
• The conference resulted in the following
  recommendations

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• Until now, dietary recommendations were
  communicated to the general public mainly in
  terms of specific nutrients and foods.
• We propose that future dietary recommendations
  should focus more on whole diets that have shown
  benefits to health.

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• The traditional Mediterranean diet is a most
  promising diet because
• it has a great potential for improving health
  with respect to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes
  and cancer
• it has the potential to be accepted and adopted
  in the European context due to its taste and
  eating qualities

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Main characteristics ofthe traditional
Mediterranean Diet
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• High intake of vegetables, fruits, whole cereals
  and legumes
• Olive oil is the principal added fat for cooking
  and seasoning
• Low meat intake
• Fish and poultry are preferred over red meat
• Moderate intake of wine
• Moderate consumption of dairy products
• Olives and nuts as snacks

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• Maximum benefit of Mediterranean diet is obtained
  if combined with a healthy lifestyle
• No Smoking
• Weight control to avoid obesity
• At least ½ hour brisk walking, biking, gardening
  or equivalent is recommended daily

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European Food and Nutrition Policy
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• Europe has strong food policies and instruments
  in place for ensuring food supply and food safety
  but not for nutrition and health.
• Hence there is an urgent need to develop and
  implement a comprehensive, coordinated,
  multisectoral European Food and Nutrition Policy.

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• The future European Food and Nutrition Policy
  should facilitate that all Europeans will be
  informed and have easy access to foods typical of
  the traditional Mediterranean diet such as
  vegetables, fruits and whole cereals.
• We recommend this issue to be taken into account
  for developing the Common Agricultural Policy of
  the EU.

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On behalf of the EGEA Conference
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• A. KAFATOS, University of Crete
• D. KROMHOUT, National Inst. Of Public Health and
  the Environment, Bilthoven
• S. RENAUD, University Bordeaux II
• E. RIBOLI, IRAC-WHO, Lyon
• A. SCHATZKIN, NCI, Bethesda
• A. TRICHOPOULOU, University of Athens
• P. vant VEER, Wageningen University