“Mediterranean Diet. The Perfect Recipe”, on Arte.tv: Health on the Plate

ARTE.TV – On Demand – Documentary

On the occasion of the international conference dedicated to the Mediterranean diet, in May 2005 in Rome, our colleague Jean-Yves Nau wrote in the world From May 24, 2005: “The secrets and virtues of the 'Mediterranean Diet' are gradually revealed, a formula that proposes a list of dietary restrictions while above all it is about education in the field of food pleasure. »

Nearly twenty years later, research and discoveries have advanced dramatically, and documentaries have covered the progress, even if some, like the recent series 100 Years of Abundance: Secrets of the Blue Zones, Journalist Dan Buettner, featured on Netflix, is unfortunately biased on the subject.

Many scientists, who were previously skeptical, have been convinced by the convincing results of long-term and large-scale studies, organized since the beginning of the 1990s. What the French-Greek documentary tells (remember that the most famous regimes in the region) are Cretan) Mediterranean diet. The perfect recipewritten by Alexandros Mercouris, available on Arte.tv.

“Superfood”

The first discovery made about this diet, low in red meat, sugars and animal fats (butter and cream) but rich in fruits (fresh and dried), vegetables and legumes, was its importance. Contributing to the fight against cardiovascular diseases.

It was the work of Ancel Keys (1904-2004), the American scientist nicknamed “Mr. Olive Oil” (and deceased centenarian!) who highlighted the benefits of vegetable fats, including olive oil. Medicine today confirms this: “Olive oil effectively prevents myocardial infarction”As one of the many scientists interviewed, Miguel Ángel Martinez González, a Spanish public health professor, said. And to add: “I don't like to talk about “Superfood,” but if there was one, it would be olive oil. »

Another section of the documentary focuses on the benefits of this diet in relation to some types of cancer (breast cancer, colorectal cancer). The disease was previously linked to smoking, but otherwise, recalls Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard's T. H. Chan School of Public Health. “It seems like the Divine Punishment strikes randomly.”

The most important part of the film by Alexandros Mercouris concerns the people who do not enter the world during the Rome conference of 2005: it enters a middle-class environment and the risks of the next day, which are notified. in France. By increasing daily consumption of fruits, vegetables and fatty fish, the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease will be reduced by 30% to 36%.

Other benefits have been listed, observed clinically, but there is still a way to go in research and, even more so, in nutritional education of the population. Because it was mentioned at the beginning Mediterranean diet. perfect recipe, Cretan youth now eat manufactured industrial products…