All about the Mediterranean diet, voted as most popular for good health.

The Good Life | Mediterranean Diet: The most popular diet of 2022

Mealworms have become the first insect approved in Europe&nbsp;as a human food after the region's food agency said that they are safe to eat.

The decision by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA)&nbsp;paves the way for the yellow grubs to be used whole and dried in curries and other recipes and as a flour to make biscuits, pasta and bread.

The EFSA said it had found the&nbsp;mealworms&nbsp;or Tenebrio molitor larva were safe to be eaten "either as a whole dried insect or in the form of powder" after an application from French insect-rearing firm Micronutris.&nbsp;

"Its main components are protein, fat and fibre," the statement said but warned that more research needed to be done on possible allergic reactions to the insects.

The move by EU's food watchdog&nbsp;is the preliminary step needed before officials can decide whether to allow the beetle larvae to be sold to consumers across the 27-nation bloc.

It is bound to give some tough competition to the vaunted Mediterranean diet and the French ''bon gout''.

Despite their name, mealworms&nbsp;are beetle larvae rather than&nbsp;worms&nbsp;and are already used in Europe as a pet food ingredient.

The burgeoning insect farming industy in Europe welcomed the decision and said they hoped to see authorities give permission for yellow&nbsp;mealworms&nbsp;to be marketed to the public by the middle of this year.

"The release of this document indeed represents an important milestone towards the wider EU commercialisation of edible insects," Antoine Hubert, president of the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed, said in a statement. &nbsp;

The Italy-based EFSA has more insect investigations on its plate and is also set to examine if crickets and grasshoppers are fit for consumption.

People across much of the world - including parts of Africa, Australia and New Zealand - already enjoy tucking into insect bars, cricket burgers and other grub-based foods.

They are already available for human consumption in a small number of EU countries and are more widely produced for use in animal feed.&nbsp;

The industry says it expects the European market for insect-based food products to grow rapidly in the coming years and for production to reach some 260,000 tonnes by 2030.&nbsp;

Some sociologists, however, believe psychological barriers particularly strong in Europe mean it will be some time before the yellow&nbsp;worms&nbsp;start flying off supermarket shelves there.

"There are cognitive reasons derived from our social and cultural experiences - the so-called ‘yuck factor’ - that make the thought of eating insects repellent to many Europeans," said Giovanni Sogari, a social and consumer researcher at the University of Parma in Italy.

"With time and exposure, such attitudes can change."

EFSA said it had received 156 applications for "novel food" safety assessments since 2018, covering everything from algae-derived foods to an array of insect species.

Mealworms have become the first insect approved in Europe as a human food after the region's food agency said that they are safe to eat. The decision by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) paves the way for the yellow grubs to be used whole and dried in curries and other recipes and as a flour to make biscuits, pasta and bread.

Mealworms have become the first insect approved in Europe as a human food after the region's food agency said that they are safe to eat. The decision by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) paves the way for the yellow grubs to be used whole and dried in curries and other recipes and as a flour to make biscuits, pasta and bread. The EFSA said it had found the mealworms or Tenebrio molitor larva were safe to be eaten "either as a whole dried insect or in the form of powder" after an application from French insect-rearing firm Micronutris. "Its main components are protein, fat and fibre," the statement said but warned that more research needed to be done on possible allergic reactions to the insects. The move by EU's food watchdog is the preliminary step needed before officials can decide whether to allow the beetle larvae to be sold to consumers across the 27-nation bloc. It is bound to give some tough competition to the vaunted Mediterranean diet and the French ''bon gout''. Despite their name, mealworms are beetle larvae rather than worms and are already used in Europe as a pet food ingredient. The burgeoning insect farming industy in Europe welcomed the decision and said they hoped to see authorities give permission for yellow mealworms to be marketed to the public by the middle of this year. "The release of this document indeed represents an important milestone towards the wider EU commercialisation of edible insects," Antoine Hubert, president of the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed, said in a statement. The Italy-based EFSA has more insect investigations on its plate and is also set to examine if crickets and grasshoppers are fit for consumption. People across much of the world - including parts of Africa, Australia and New Zealand - already enjoy tucking into insect bars, cricket burgers and other grub-based foods. They are already available for human consumption in a small number of EU countries and are more widely produced for use in animal feed. The industry says it expects the European market for insect-based food products to grow rapidly in the coming years and for production to reach some 260,000 tonnes by 2030. Some sociologists, however, believe psychological barriers particularly strong in Europe mean it will be some time before the yellow worms start flying off supermarket shelves there. "There are cognitive reasons derived from our social and cultural experiences - the so-called ‘yuck factor’ - that make the thought of eating insects repellent to many Europeans," said Giovanni Sogari, a social and consumer researcher at the University of Parma in Italy. "With time and exposure, such attitudes can change." EFSA said it had received 156 applications for "novel food" safety assessments since 2018, covering everything from algae-derived foods to an array of insect species.

Mealworms for dinner? European Union approves first insect food

Men with localised prostate cancer who reported a baseline dietary pattern that more closely follows the key principles of a Mediterranean-style diet fared better over the course of their disease, suggest the findings of a new study.

"Men with prostate cancer are motivated to find a way to impact the advancement of their disease and improve their quality of life," said Justin Gregg, M.D., assistant professor of Urology and lead author of the study, published today in Cancer."A Mediterranean diet is non-invasive, good for overall health and, as shown by this study, has the potential to affect the progression of their cancer," added Gregg.

After adjusting for factors known to increase risk of cancer getting worse over time, such as age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and tumour volume, men with a diet that contained more fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals and fish had a reduced risk of their prostate cancer growing or advancing to a point where many would consider active treatment. The researchers also examined the effect of diabetes and statin use and found a similar risk reduction in these patient groups. 
 
The study, whose largest number of participants were white, also found that the effect of a Mediterranean diet was more pronounced in African American participants and others who self-identified as non-white.

These findings are significant as the rate of a prostate cancer diagnosis is more than 50% higher in African American men, who also have a higher risk of prostate cancer death and disease progression."The Mediterranean diet consistently has been linked to lower risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and mortality. This study in men with early-stage prostate cancer gets us another step closer to providing evidence-based dietary recommendations to optimize outcomes in cancer patients, who along with their families, have many questions in this area," said Carrie Daniel-MacDougall, PhD, associate professor of Epidemiology and senior author of the study.

After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States. Since most cases are low-risk disease, localized to the prostate and have favourable outcomes, many men do not need immediate treatment and opt for active surveillance by their doctor. 
&nbsp;

Treatments for prostate cancer can cause changes in quality of life and declines in urinary and sexual function, therefore there is interest in finding modifiable factors for men managed by active surveillance.

The study followed 410 men on an active surveillance protocol with Gleason grade group 1 or 2 localized prostate cancer. All study participants underwent a confirmatory biopsy at the beginning of the study and were evaluated every six months through the clinical exam and laboratory studies of serum antigen PSA and testosterone.Trial participants were 82.9 percent Caucasian, 8.1 percent Black and 9 percent other or unknown.

The median age was 64, 15 per cent of the men were diabetic and 44 per cent used statins.The men completed a 170-item baseline food frequency questionnaire, and Mediterranean diet score was calculated for each participant across 9 energy-adjusted food groups. The participants were then divided into three groups of the high, medium, and low adherence to the diet.

After adjustments for age and clinical characteristics, researchers saw a significant association between high baseline diet score and lower risk of cancer grade progression.For every one-point increase in the Mediterranean diet score, researchers observed a greater than 10 per cent lower risk of progression. After a median follow-up of 36 months, 76 men saw their cancer progress. 
 
The study was limited by the low number of events in these men with mostly low-risk disease monitored at MD Anderson. Future research is needed to see if the same effects are seen for larger and more diverse patient groups and men with higher-risk prostate cancer."Our findings suggest that consistently following a diet rich in plant foods, fish and a healthy balance of monounsaturated fats may be beneficial for men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer," Gregg said."We are hopeful that these results, paired with additional research and future validation, will encourage patients to adopt a healthy lifestyle," added Gregg.&nbsp;

Men with localised prostate cancer who reported a baseline dietary pattern that more closely follows the key principles of a Mediterranean-style diet fared better over the course of their disease, suggest the findings of a new study.

Men with localised prostate cancer who reported a baseline dietary pattern that more closely follows the key principles of a Mediterranean-style diet fared better over the course of their disease, suggest the findings of a new study. "Men with prostate cancer are motivated to find a way to impact the advancement of their disease and improve their quality of life," said Justin Gregg, M.D., assistant professor of Urology and lead author of the study, published today in Cancer."A Mediterranean diet is non-invasive, good for overall health and, as shown by this study, has the potential to affect the progression of their cancer," added Gregg. After adjusting for factors known to increase risk of cancer getting worse over time, such as age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and tumour volume, men with a diet that contained more fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals and fish had a reduced risk of their prostate cancer growing or advancing to a point where many would consider active treatment. The researchers also examined the effect of diabetes and statin use and found a similar risk reduction in these patient groups. The study, whose largest number of participants were white, also found that the effect of a Mediterranean diet was more pronounced in African American participants and others who self-identified as non-white. These findings are significant as the rate of a prostate cancer diagnosis is more than 50% higher in African American men, who also have a higher risk of prostate cancer death and disease progression."The Mediterranean diet consistently has been linked to lower risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and mortality. This study in men with early-stage prostate cancer gets us another step closer to providing evidence-based dietary recommendations to optimize outcomes in cancer patients, who along with their families, have many questions in this area," said Carrie Daniel-MacDougall, PhD, associate professor of Epidemiology and senior author of the study. After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States. Since most cases are low-risk disease, localized to the prostate and have favourable outcomes, many men do not need immediate treatment and opt for active surveillance by their doctor. Treatments for prostate cancer can cause changes in quality of life and declines in urinary and sexual function, therefore there is interest in finding modifiable factors for men managed by active surveillance. The study followed 410 men on an active surveillance protocol with Gleason grade group 1 or 2 localized prostate cancer. All study participants underwent a confirmatory biopsy at the beginning of the study and were evaluated every six months through the clinical exam and laboratory studies of serum antigen PSA and testosterone.Trial participants were 82.9 percent Caucasian, 8.1 percent Black and 9 percent other or unknown. The median age was 64, 15 per cent of the men were diabetic and 44 per cent used statins.The men completed a 170-item baseline food frequency questionnaire, and Mediterranean diet score was calculated for each participant across 9 energy-adjusted food groups. The participants were then divided into three groups of the high, medium, and low adherence to the diet. After adjustments for age and clinical characteristics, researchers saw a significant association between high baseline diet score and lower risk of cancer grade progression.For every one-point increase in the Mediterranean diet score, researchers observed a greater than 10 per cent lower risk of progression. After a median follow-up of 36 months, 76 men saw their cancer progress. The study was limited by the low number of events in these men with mostly low-risk disease monitored at MD Anderson. Future research is needed to see if the same effects are seen for larger and more diverse patient groups and men with higher-risk prostate cancer."Our findings suggest that consistently following a diet rich in plant foods, fish and a healthy balance of monounsaturated fats may be beneficial for men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer," Gregg said."We are hopeful that these results, paired with additional research and future validation, will encourage patients to adopt a healthy lifestyle," added Gregg.

Risk of prostate cancer may decrease with Mediterranean diet: Study

It may be on the UNESCO heritage list but global experts warn that the Mediterranean diet, prized for its health benefits, is losing so much ground to the fast-food culture that the decline may be irreversible. 
 
Rich in vegetables, fruits, cereals and extra virgin olive oil, the Mediterranean diet is based on a moderate consumption of fish, dairy products, eggs, red wine and a small amount of meat. 
 
Found to varying degrees in all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, it was named in 2010 in UNESCO&#39;s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list for seven countries, from Croatia to Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Spain and Portugal. 
 
But the diet, which the United Nations also praises for promoting hospitality, neighbourliness, intercultural dialogue and creativity, is going rapidly out of fashion. 
 
&quot;In Greece, it has decreased by 70 per cent over the last 30 years, in Spain 50 per cent,&quot; Lluis Serra-Majem, head of the International Foundation of Mediterranean Diet, said at a recent conference in Milan. 
 
The experts, from Israel to New Zealand to Sweden, explored ways to revive the diet, from making it appealing to teenagers, to persuading people to buy fresh and sometimes costlier food during a period of economic crisis. 
 
In Spain, celebrities like actress Penelope Cruz may add some glamour with their love of Mediterranean cuisine but even fewer people are enticed. 
 
Less than 15 per cent of the Spanish population still eats a Mediterranean diet, while 50 to 60 per cent do so occasionally. Between 20 to 30 per cent have ditched it altogether, Serra-Majem said. 
 
And it&#39;s the same in Greece, says Antonia Trichopoulou from the Hellenic Health Foundation. Unsurprisingly, over 65-year-olds are the best at eating traditional dishes, while the youngest generations have succumbed to the lure of fast food. 
 
&quot;The decline has various causes. We are witnessing a globalisation of eating habits, with (the spread of) the &#39;Western diet&#39;,&quot; said Serra-Majem, pointing a finger of blame at the growth of the tourism sector in particular. 
 
It has been more marked in coastal areas, particularly in Spain or on Italy&#39;s Adriatic coast. 
 
&quot;Uncontrolled tourism leads to high urbanisation and increased consumption of meat, refined flours and a reduction of the traditional diet,&quot; he said. 
 
Oranges in Ibiza 
 
The change in eating habits is having a significant impact on public health with the rise of obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes among populations previously known for their longevity. 
 
Seven in 10 Greek adults are now overweight or obese, and about 11 per cent have diabetes, according to Trichopoulou. 
 
The Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity could prevent many diabetes cases, said Serra-Majem. 
 
While some regions are doing better at resisting fast food - such as southern Italy and northern Africa - the race is on to find a way to slow or reverse the diet&#39;s decline, with the meeting in Milan just one such bid to save it. 
 
As well as the health fallout and associated medical costs, dropping the diet also has an impact on the environment since &quot;almost 25 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from food production,&quot; he said. 
 
It also puts at risk of extinction local skills and traditions such as harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry and conservation. 
 
Healthy eating has not fallen by the wayside completely: the Mediterranean diet is a hit with &quot;educated people and those who belong to higher social classes&quot; in Greece, Trichopoulou said. 
 
&quot;It is more related to a social problem and education than money, because vegetables and fruits are relatively cheap,&quot; she said, but people are cooking less and advertisements promote sugary or preserved products. 
 
What&#39;s needed is to encourage initiatives in local communities and find a way of selling sustainable tourism - including a return to local food production - even in mass tourism areas, says independent expert Florence Egal. 
 
In Spain&#39;s Balearic Islands, including the hugely popular Majorca and Ibiza, &quot;thousands of tourists eat at buffets in large hotels&quot;, while &quot;in the countryside orange trees are weighed down with unpicked fruit&quot;, which rots because imported oranges cost less. 
 
And she warns, as groves are abandoned and migration to cities increases, the Mediterranean diet takes one more step towards becoming a thing of the past. 
 
(AFP)

Experts from New Zealand to Sweden are exploring ways to revive the cuisine that is fast losing popularity

It may be on the UNESCO heritage list but global experts warn that the Mediterranean diet, prized for its health benefits, is losing so much ground to the fast-food culture that the decline may be irreversible. Rich in vegetables, fruits, cereals and extra virgin olive oil, the Mediterranean diet is based on a moderate consumption of fish, dairy products, eggs, red wine and a small amount of meat. Found to varying degrees in all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, it was named in 2010 in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list for seven countries, from Croatia to Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Spain and Portugal. But the diet, which the United Nations also praises for promoting hospitality, neighbourliness, intercultural dialogue and creativity, is going rapidly out of fashion. "In Greece, it has decreased by 70 per cent over the last 30 years, in Spain 50 per cent," Lluis Serra-Majem, head of the International Foundation of Mediterranean Diet, said at a recent conference in Milan. The experts, from Israel to New Zealand to Sweden, explored ways to revive the diet, from making it appealing to teenagers, to persuading people to buy fresh and sometimes costlier food during a period of economic crisis. In Spain, celebrities like actress Penelope Cruz may add some glamour with their love of Mediterranean cuisine but even fewer people are enticed. Less than 15 per cent of the Spanish population still eats a Mediterranean diet, while 50 to 60 per cent do so occasionally. Between 20 to 30 per cent have ditched it altogether, Serra-Majem said. And it's the same in Greece, says Antonia Trichopoulou from the Hellenic Health Foundation. Unsurprisingly, over 65-year-olds are the best at eating traditional dishes, while the youngest generations have succumbed to the lure of fast food. "The decline has various causes. We are witnessing a globalisation of eating habits, with (the spread of) the 'Western diet'," said Serra-Majem, pointing a finger of blame at the growth of the tourism sector in particular. It has been more marked in coastal areas, particularly in Spain or on Italy's Adriatic coast. "Uncontrolled tourism leads to high urbanisation and increased consumption of meat, refined flours and a reduction of the traditional diet," he said. Oranges in Ibiza The change in eating habits is having a significant impact on public health with the rise of obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes among populations previously known for their longevity. Seven in 10 Greek adults are now overweight or obese, and about 11 per cent have diabetes, according to Trichopoulou. The Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity could prevent many diabetes cases, said Serra-Majem. While some regions are doing better at resisting fast food - such as southern Italy and northern Africa - the race is on to find a way to slow or reverse the diet's decline, with the meeting in Milan just one such bid to save it. As well as the health fallout and associated medical costs, dropping the diet also has an impact on the environment since "almost 25 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions come from food production," he said. It also puts at risk of extinction local skills and traditions such as harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry and conservation. Healthy eating has not fallen by the wayside completely: the Mediterranean diet is a hit with "educated people and those who belong to higher social classes" in Greece, Trichopoulou said. "It is more related to a social problem and education than money, because vegetables and fruits are relatively cheap," she said, but people are cooking less and advertisements promote sugary or preserved products. What's needed is to encourage initiatives in local communities and find a way of selling sustainable tourism - including a return to local food production - even in mass tourism areas, says independent expert Florence Egal. In Spain's Balearic Islands, including the hugely popular Majorca and Ibiza, "thousands of tourists eat at buffets in large hotels", while "in the countryside orange trees are weighed down with unpicked fruit", which rots because imported oranges cost less. And she warns, as groves are abandoned and migration to cities increases, the Mediterranean diet takes one more step towards becoming a thing of the past. (AFP)

Global push to make Mediterranean diet sexy again