Dietetics and Nutrition in the Mediterranean

By Dr. Alberto Fatticcioni

Mediterranean diet rulesThe Mediterranean diet is principally a plant based diet. Everyday the “mediterranean way” consists of: • vegetables (at least 300-400 g a day) • fruit (at least 4 pieces or 400 g a day)• legumes and pulses• grains, pasta and/or bread (mostly wholemeal and unrefined) • olive oil and nuts• an abundant use of herbs and spices• water (more than 2 liters per day)• wine during meals ( maximum 2 glasses per day )

Vegetables/Legumes Fruits Herbs and Spices

Mediterranean Area Natives, Used BCE

MushroomBeet

RadishTurnipCarrotParsnip

AsparagusLeek

OnionCabbageLettuce

ArtichokeCucumberBroad bean

PeaOlive

ApplePear

CherryGrape

FigDate

StrawberryPlum

Pomegranate

BasilMarjoram

FennelMint

RosemarySage

SavoryThymeAnise

CarawayCoriander

DillParsley

OreganoBay

CaperFenugreek

GarlicMustardPoppySesameSaffron

Later Addictions

SpinachRhubarb

Cauliflower

BroccoliBrussels sprouts

Celery

VEGETABLES, FRUITS, AND SPICES USED IN THE WEST

Vegetables/Legumes Fruits Herbs and Spices

Asian Natives, Brought to the West BCE

Eggplant CitronApricotPeachPlum

CardamomGinger

CinnamonTurmeric

Black pepper

Imported Later

YamWater chestnut

BambooEggplant

LemonLime

OrangeMelon

TarragonMaceClove

Nutmeg

New World Natives, Imported 15th-16th Centuries

PotatoSweet Potato

PumpkinSquashesTomato

Kidney beanLima bean

Capsicum pepperAvocado

Pineapple AllspiceChillisVanilla

VegetablesVegetables are the most complex food we eat. 1. Roots and tubers (potatoes, carrots and

parsnip)2. Lower stems and bulbs (beets, celery root,

turnip, radish, onion, garlic, leeks) 3. Stems and stalks (asparagus, celery, fennel,

kohlrabi, cardoons)4. Leaves (lettuces, chicories, dandelion greens,

cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, rocket, spinach)5. Flowers (artichokes, broccoli, cauliflowers) 6. Fruits used as vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant,

sweet peppers, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin)

Roots and tubers: potatoesThere are more than 200 species of potato (it. Patata), relatives of the tomato, chilli and tobacco that are indigenous to moist, cool regions of Central and South America. Some were cultivated 8,000 years ago. Spanish explorers brought one species, Solanum tuberosum, from Peru or Colombia to Europe around 1570. Because it was hardy and easy to grow, the potato was inexpensive and the poor were its principals consumers. More potatoes are consumed in the United States than any other vegetable, around 150 gm per person per day

Roots and tubers: potatoes

Roots and tubers: potatoesNUTRITIONAL QUALITIESPotatoes are a good source of energy and vitamin C. Yellow fleshed varieties owe their color to fat- soluble carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin), purple and blue ones to water-soluble and antioxidant anthocyanins.

Potatoes are notable for containing significant levels of the toxic alkaloids solanine and chaconine stressfull growing conditions and exposure to light can double or triple the normal level.

Roots and tubers: potatoesRecipe

A healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Braised Artichokes and Potatoes” (pages 291-292 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) where artichokes, potatoes, onion, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, thyme, bay leaves, extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice are the main ingredients.

Roots and tubers: potatoesRecipe

A healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Garlic Roasted Potatoes with Black Olives ” (page 333 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) where potatoes, garlic, rosemary, red chili, sea salt, black pepper, black olives, extra-virgin olive oil and parsley are the main ingredients.

Roots and tubers: carrotsCultivated carrots (it. Carota) are swollen taproots of the species Daucus carota, which arose in the Mediterranenan region. There are two main groups of cultivated carrots. 1. The eastern anthocyanin carrot developed in

central Asia, and has reddish-purple to purple black outher layers and a yellow core of conducting vessels. It’s eaten in its home region and can also be found in Spain.

2. The familiar orange carrot, the richest vegetable source of vitamin A precursor beta carotene, appears to have been developed in Holland 1700

Roots and tubers: carrots

Roots and tubers: carrotsCarrots has a long history, growing wild throughout Europe and Mediterranean area, where the leaves and seeds were used by the ancient Greeks, and the roots cultivated by the Roman.

In Italy, today, carrots are used in the preliminary BATTUTO of vegetables (usually celery, carrots, onions, garlic), and herbs, particularly parsley which is chopped finely together almost to a paste, and used, cooked or raw in many dishes.

Roots and tubers: carrotsRecipe

A healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Moroccan Carrot Salad with Orange and Lemon Juice” (page 83) where carrots, fresh orange and lemon juice, walnut and extra-virgin olive oil are the main ingredients.

Roots and tubers: carrotsRecipe

A healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Oven-Braised Carrots” (page 83) where carrots, onions, extra-virgin olive oil, vegetable stock, sea salt, black pepper and grated parmigiano reggiano cheese are the main ingredients.

Roots and tubers: parsnipParsnip Pastinaca sativa (it. Pastinaca), is to the same family to carrot. It’s native to Eurasia, was know to the Greeks and Romans, and like the turnip was an important staple food before the introduction of the potato. The version known to us today, was developed in the Middle Ages. The parsnip accumulate more starch than the carrot, but converts it to sugars when exposed to cold temperatures; so winter roots are sweeter than autumn roots, and before sugar became cheap were used to make cakes and jams in Britain.

Roots and tubers: parsnip

In the past, parsnip, were cooked as sweet fritters, with dried fruit and spices, served with honey and sugar, or parboiled, the woody core removed, dipped in batter and fried, as a cheap substitute for fish.

Lower stems and bulbs: beetsBeet “roots” (it. Barbabietola) are mainly the lower stem of Beta vulgaris, a native of the Mediterranean and Western Europe. People have eaten this plant since prehistory, initially its leaves (chard). In Greek times beet roots were long, either white or red and sweet; Theophrastus reported around 300 BC that they were pleasant enough to eat raw. Table beets are about 3% sugar and some large animal-feed varieties are 8%; in the 18th century, selection for sugar production led to sugar beets with 20% sucrose..

Lower stems and bulbs: beets

Colored beets are rich in antioxidant and phytochemical

Lower stems and bulbs: beetsRecipe

A healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Roasted winter vegetables” (pages 344, 345, 346 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) where beets, carrots, celery root, white turnips, sweet potato, winter squash, onions, leeks, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, black pepper and red chili, are the main ingredients.

Lower stems and bulbs: celery root

This roots requires a deep peeling. Celery root contains a moderate amount of starch (5-6% by weight). It’s usually cooked like other root vegetables (“Roasted winter vegetables” pages 344, 345, 346 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) but also finely shredded to make a crunchy raw salad.

Celery root (it. Sedano Rapa), is the swollen lower portion of the main stem of a special variety of celery, Apium graveolens var. rapaceum.

Lower stems and bulbs: celery rootRecipe

A healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Turkish beans with Potatoes, Celery Root and Carrots” (pages 252, 253 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) where white beans, carrots, celery root, potatoes, onion, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, bay leaves and parsley , are the main ingredients.

Lower stems and bulbs: turnipTurnip and radish are vegetables of the cabbage family. The turnip (it. Rapa), Brassica rapa, has been under cultivation for about 4,000 years in Eurasia as a staple, fast growing food. It consist of both lower stem and taproot, can have a number of different shapes and colors, and has the sulfury aroma typical of the family. Small, mild varieties may be eaten raw and crunchy like radishes, larger ones cooking until soft: but not to long, or the overcooked cabbage flavor dominates and the texture becomes mushy. Turnips are also pickled.

Lower stems and bulbs: turnip

Lower stems and bulbs: turnipRecipe

A healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Lebanese Pickled Turnips” (pages 282, 283 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) where white turnips, beet, garlic, sea salt, white vinegar and water are the main ingredients.

Lower stems and bulbs: turnipRecipe

A healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Gratin of Purple-Topped Turnips” (page 340 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) where purple-topped turnips, shallot, garlic, sea salt, chicken stock, parsley, black pepper and parmigiano reggiano cheese are the main ingredients.

Lower stems and bulbs: radishThe radish (it. Ravanello) is a different species, Raphanus sativus, a native of western Asia, and had reached the Mediterranean by the time of ancient Egyptians and Greeks. Like the turnip it’s mainly a swollen lower stem, and has been shaped by human selection into many distinctive forms and striking colors (for example, green at the surface and red inside). Most familiar in the United States are small, early maturing spring varieties, usually with a bright red skin, which take only few weeks to grow, and become harsh and woody in summer heat. These are usually eat raw, or in mixed salad.

Lower stems and bulbs: radish

Lower stems and bulbs: onion family

There are around 500 species in the genus Allium, a group of plants in the lily family that are native to northern temperate regions. About 20 are important human foods, and a handful have been prized for thousand of years, as is attested by the well-known lament of the exiled Israelites in the old Testament: “We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers and the melons, and the leeks and the onions, and the garlic”.

Lower stems and bulbs: onion familyImportant Members of the Onion Family

Onions, scallions Allium cepa

Shallots Allium cepa var. ascalonicum

Garlic Allium sativum

Leeks, wild Allium ampeloprasum

Leeks, cultivated Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum

Great-headed (elephant) garlic Allium ampeloprasum var. gigante

Leeks, Egyptian Allium kurrat

Ramps, ramson (broad-leaf leek) Allium tricoccum

Chives Allium schoenoprasum

Chives, “garlic” or “Chinese” Allium tuberosum

Japanese long onion Allium ramosum

Japanese bunching onion Allium fistulosum

Rakkyo Allium chinese

Lower stems and bulbs: onion familyThe onion family accumulates energy stores not in starch, but in chains of fructose sugars, wich long, slow cooking breaks down to produce a marked sweetness.The key to onion family’s appeal is a strong, often pungent, sulfury flavor whose original purpose was to deter animals from eating plants. The growing plants take up sulfur from the soil and incorporate it into four different kinds of chemical ammunition. Cooking transform this chemical defense into a deliciously savory, almost meaty quality that adds depth to many dishes in many cultures.

Lower stems and bulbs: onion family

The “lacrimator” sulfur product, which causes our eyes to water, is produced in significant quantities only in the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. It’s effect can be minimized by prechilling the onions for 30-60 minutes in ice water.

Lower stems and bulbs: onion and shallots

Onions (it. Cipolla) are plants of the species Allium cepa, wich originated in central Asia but has spread across the globe in hundreds of different varieties. There are two major categories of market onions: red and white onions. Red onions are pigmented by water soluble anthocyanins, and cooking dilutes and dulls their colors. Green onions, or scallions, can be either bulb-forming onion varieties harvested quite young, or special varieties that never do form bulbs. Shallot, (it. Scalogno) are a distinctive clustering variety of onion whose bulbs are smaller and sweeter, often purple.

Lower stems and bulbs: onion and shallots

Lower stems and bulbs: onionsOnions chopped and softened in extra-virgin olive oil along with celery and carrots form the SOFFRITTO, or starting point of many dishes and sauces.

The small onions (it. Cipolline) are pickled and cooked in a sweet/sour sauce with good vinegar (the best is Aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena) sugar, ciannamon, pepper cloves, bay leaves and garlic)

Lower stems and bulbs: onions

In Mediterranean Diet, raw onions chopped or sliced, make an agreeable contrast to tinned tuna salad, boiled beans or cooked potatoes.

Many Italian region have their version of onion soup, where the ingredients are usually peeled and sliced onions, extra-virgin olive oil and bacon.

Lower stems and bulbs: onionsRecipe

A healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Walnut-Stuffed Roasted Onions” (pages 328, 329 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) where yellow onions, walnut, prosciutto, extra-virgin olive oil, chicken stock, sea salt, black pepper and thyme leaves are the main ingredients.

Lower stems and bulbs: garlicGarlic (it. Aglio) is the central Asian native Allium sativum, which produces a tight head of a dozen or more bulbs, or “cloves”. “Elephant garlic” is actually a bulbing variety of leek, with a milder flavour. There are many different garlic varieties, with different proportions of sulfur compounds; cold growing conditions produce a more intense garlic flavor. Refrigerated storage causes a decline in distinctively garlicky flavor, and an increase in more generic onion flavors.

Lower stems and bulbs: garlic

Garlic used to be described as the “theriac of the poor” (theriac was a medicament concocted as an universal remedy by physicians and less scrupolose operators), and the benign effects of garlic are considerable – it is good for colds, fevers, blood pressure, and digestive problems and has disinfectant and healing properties.

Lower stems and bulbs: garlic

Recipe

A healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino” , where garlic and red hot chili pepper are browning in extravirgin olive oil for dressing “spaghetti al dente” cooked.

Lower stems and bulbs: garlic

Recipe

A healthy dressing for salads or vegetables in the Mediterranean Diet is “Lemon and Garlic Dressing for Salads or Vegetables” (page 262 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook), where garlic, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper are the main ingredient for this dressing.

Lower stems and bulbs: leek

Unlike onions and garlic, leeks (it. Porro) don’t form useful storage bulbs, and are grown instead for their scallion-like mass of fresh leaves. Leeks are essential ingredients in most broths and stocks, but they are very good on their own.

Lower stems and bulbs: leekRecipe

An healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Oven Braised Leeks” (page 324 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook), where leeks, vegetable stock, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, celery stalk, dried oregano, bay leaf, black peppercorns, coriander seed sea salt and black pepper are the main ingredient per this recipe.

Stems and stalks

Vegetables derived from plant stems and stalks often present a particular challenge to the cook. Stems and stalks support other plant parts and conduct essential nutrients to and from them, so they consist in large part of fibrous vascular tissue and special stiffening fibers.

Sometimes there’s nothing to do except to strip away the fibers, or cut the vegetable into thin pieces to minimize their fibrousness.

Stems and stalks: asparagusAsparagus (it. Asparago) is the main stalk of a plant in the lily family, Asparagus officinalis, a native of Eurasia that was a delicacy in Greek and Roman times. Harvested early and fresh from the soil, asparagus is very juicy and noticeably sweet (4% sugars). Asparagus is one of the best loved vegetables in the Italian cuisine. The spears are eaten raw, grilled or fried, boiled and dressed with olive oil and lemon or butter and parmigiano reggiano, or deep fried in batter as part of a “fritto misto”.

Stems and stalks: asparagusRecipe

A healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Castelvetro Grilled Asparagus” (pages 294, 295 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook), where seasonal asparagus, fresh orange and lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper are the main ingredients.

Stems and stalks: celeryCelery (it. Sedano), Apium graveolens, is the mild, enlarged version of a bitter, thin-stalked Eurasian herb called smallage and it is to the “Carrot family”. Our familiar celery was apparently bred in 15th century in Italy, and remained a delicacy well into the 19th; it has a distinctive but subtle aroma due to unusual compounds called phthalides that it shares with walnuts, and terpens that provide light pine and citrus notes. Celery is the base of “soffritto or battuto”. Celery is often served raw, and its crispness is maximized by presoaking in cold water.

Stems and stalks: celeryCelery, in the contemporany cuisine, is fall into disuse like main ingredient for the recipes.Artusi gives some nice recipes, in which, after a preliminary short blanching in salted water, pieces of prepared celery are finished in extravirgin olive oil and a little broth and served sprinkled with parmesan. Celery is very good in “farro salad” and in vegetable salads.

Stems and stalks: fennelFennel Bulb, or Florence or finocchio fennel (it. Finocchio) is a vegetable variety of Foeniculum vulgare, the plant that produces fennel seeds of the “Carrot family”. Its enlarged leaf-stalk bases form a tight, bulb-like cluster. Fennel has a strong anise aroma thanks to the same chemical (anethole) that flavors makes fennel a more dominating, less versatile ingredient than celery and carrots.Fennel is eaten both raw, thinly sliced and crunchy, and cooked, often braised or in a gratin. Fresh raw fennel are very good thinly sliced and added to salads with oranges, black olives and olive oil.

Stems and stalks: fennelRecipe

A healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Provencal Marinated Fennel” (pages 320, 321 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook), where seasonal fennel bulbs, celery stalk, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, thyme leaves, bay leaves, pine nuts, white wine, sultans and parsley are the main ingredients.

Stems and stalks: kohlrabi

Kohlrabi (it. Cavolo Rapa) is a version of the basic cabbage plant (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) in which the main stem swells to several inches in diameter. It has the moist texture and mild flavour of broccoli stalk. Young kohlrabi are tender enough to eat raw for their crisp moistness or cook briefly; overmature stems are woody.

Stems and stalks: kohlrabiKohlrabi (it. Cavolo Rapa) is a version of the basic cabbage plant (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) in which the main stem swells to several inches in diameter. It has the moist texture and mild flavour of broccoli stalk. Young kohlrabi are tender enough to eat raw for their crisp moistness or cook briefly; overmature stems are woody.

Stems and stalks: cardoonsCardoons (it. Cardo o Gobbo) are the leaf stalks of Cynara cardunculus, the Mediterranean plant from which the artichoke (Cynara scolymus) apparently descends; the stalks are often covered for several weeks before harvest to protect them from sunlight per blanch them. Cardoons have a flavor quite similar to the artichoke’s, and are abundantly endowed with astringent, bitter phenolic compounds that quickly form brown complexes when the tissues is cut or damaged. They’re often cooked in milk, whose proteins bind phenolic compounds and can reduce astringency.

Stems and stalks: cardoons

Their mild bitterness can be enhanced with butter and parmesan, or olive oil, after parboiling in water, or the prepared stems can be stewed in stock.

They can be enriched with a sauce of lemon juice and egg, or cooked, first in boiling water, than sweated in some butter and finished with a little cream and bechamel, flavoured with parmesan.

Stems and stalks: cardoonsAn healthy Mediterranean Diet recipe is “Cardoon Flan” were parboiling cardoon are chopped and mixed with whole milk, whole flour, lemon zest for create a sort of green dough, covered with breadcrumbs and parmesan and cooked in oven.

Leaves: Lettuce FamilyLactuca sativa: nonbitter lettuces1. Loose-leaf varieties: open cluster of leaves2. Butter varieties: open cluster of soft, tender

leaves, small midribs3. Batavian varieties: semi-open cluster of crisp,

dense leaves4. Cos, Romaine varieties: loose head of elongated

large leaves, prominent midribs5. Crisphead varieties: large, tightly wrapped heads

of brittle, crunchy leaves

Leaves: Lettuce Family

Cichorium intybus: bitter chicories1. Chicory: open cluster of prominent stems and

leaves2. Belgian “endive”, witloof: tight elongated head

of blanched crisp leaves3. Radicchio: tight round to elongated head of red

leaves4. Puntarelle: open cluster of prominent narrow

stems and leaves

Leaves: Lettuce Family

Cichorium endivia: bitter endives1. Curly endive: open cluster of curly leaves2. Frisée: open cluster of finely cut, frizzy leaves3. Escarole: open cluster of moderately broad leaves

Leaves: lettucesLeaves are the quintessential vegetable. The lettuce family, is the second largest family of flowering plant, lettuces, chicories and Endives are the most important greens from the Lettuce Family. The lettuces (it. Lattuga) today’s mild, widely popular lettuces, varieties of the species Lactuca sativa, derive from an inedibly bitter weedy ancestor, Lactuca serriola, that grew in Asia, and the Mediterranean and has been under cultivation and improvement for 5,000 years.

Leaves: lettucesLettuce seems to be represented in some ancient Egyptian art, and was certainly enjoyed by the Greeks and by the Romans, who ha several varieties and ate them cooked as well as raw in salads at the beginning or end of the meal. The first syllable of its Latin name, lac, means “milk” and refers to the defensive white latex that oozes from the freshly cut base. Most lettuce have a similar taste, though some red-leaf lettuces are noticeably astringent thanks to their anthocyanin pigments.

Leaves: chicories and endiveThe bitterness of chicories and endive is appreciated in Mediterranean Diet, sometimes tempered by a preliminary blanching, than eaten as a salad or further cooked with oil and aromatics.

Leaves: cabbage, kale, brussels sproutsLike the onion family, the cabbage family is a group of formidable chemical warriors with strong flavors; in the case of broccoli and broccoli sprouts, this chemical nutrient help protect against the development of cancer.

The original wild cabbage is native to the Mediterranean seabord; it was domesticated around 2,500 years ago, and thanks to its tolerance of cold climates, it became an important staple vegetable in Eastern Europe.

Leaves: cabbage, kale, brussels sproutsThere are many varieties in the cabbage family

Mediterranean originsBrassica oleraceaCabbage (var. capitata)Portuguese cabbage (var. tronchuda)Kale, collards (var. acephala)Cauliflower (var. botrytis)Brussels sprouts (var. gemmifera)Kohlrabi (var. gongylodes)

Leaves: cabbage, kale, brussels sproutsThere are many varieties in the cabbage family

Mediterranean originsMustard, black: Brassica nigraMustard, white: Sinapis albaRoket, arugula: Eruca sativaWatercress: Nasturtium speciesGarden Cress: Lepidium speciesUpland, winter cress: Barbarea speciesGarlic Mustard: Allinaria species

Leaves: cabbage, kale, brussels sproutsCentral Asia origins

Brassica rapaTurnip (var. rapifera)Broccoli rabe, broccoletti di rape (var. rapifera)Chinese cabbage, bok choy (var. chinesis)Chinese cabbage, napa (var. pekinesis)Tatsoi (var. narinosa)Mizuna, Mibuna (var. nipposinica)

Chinese kale/broccoli, gai lan: Brassica oleraceaRadish: Raphanus sativusHorseradish: Armoracia rusticana

Leaves: cabbage, kale, brussels sproutsAmounts of Sulfur Pungency Precursors

1. Brussels sprouts 352. Green cabbage 263. Broccoli 174. White cabbage 155. Horseradish 116. Red cabbage 107. Radish 78. Chinese cabbage 39. Cauliflower 2

Leaves: cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts

Recipe

An healthy Mediterranean Diet Recipe is “Sizzling Cabbage with Garlic” (page 301 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) where the parboild cabbage is combined with extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, sea salt, black pepper and cooked in oven (5 min)

Leaves: spinach Spinach (it. Spinaci) Spinacia oleracia is a member of the beet family that was domesticated in central Asia. In the Middle Ages Arabs brought it to Europe. Today is the most important leaf vegetable apart from lettuce, valued for its rapid growth, mild flavor, and tender texture when briefly cooked (When cooked, its volume is reduced by about three-quarters). Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin A as well as phenolic antioxidants and compounds that reduce potential cancer-causing damage to our DNA.

Leaves: spinach

Recipe

An healty Mediterranean Diet Recipe is “Garbanzos kon Spinaka” “Spinach with chickpeas from Greece” (page 334 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) where fresh spinach are combined with chickpeas, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, onion, sea salt and black pepper.

Leaves: chard Chard (it. Bietola, Bieta) is the name given to varieties of the beet, beet vulgaris, that have been selected for thick, meaty leaf stalks (subspecies cicla) rather than their roots.

Leaves: chard

Recipe

An healty Mediterranean Diet Recipe is “Chard with Onions and Black Olives” (page 309 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) where fresh chard is combined with extra-virgin olive oil, scallions, black olives, sea salt, black pepper and red wine vinegar.

EDIBLE FLOWERSArtichokesBroccoli, CauliflowerHerbs (chive, rosemary, lavander)Rose,Apple, PearViolet, pansyDaylilyBegoniaJasmineGeraniumLilacOrchidsChrysanthemum, marigoldLotusNasturtiumElderflowerCitrusTulipGardeniaPeonyLinden (tilleul)Redbud

INEDIBLE FLOWERSLily of the valleyHydrangeaNarcissus, daffodilOleanderPoinsettiaRhododendronSweet peaWisteria

Flowers: artichokes The artichoke is the large flower bud of a kind of thistle, Cynara scolymus, native to the Mediterranean region. It was probably developed in Greece from the cardoon, Cynara cardunculus; artichokes were a delicacy in Rome.

Food historian Charles Perry suggest that the large buds we know today, several inches in diameter, were developed in the late Middle Ages in Moorish Spain.

Flowers: artichokes The qualities of the artichoke are largely determined by its copious content of phenolic substances, which manifest themselves immediately when the flesh is cut or tasted raw. Some artichoke phenolics have antioxidants and cholesterol lowering effects, and one in particular, a compound dubbed cynarin, has the unusual effect of making foods eaten after a bite artichoke taste sweet. Cynarin apparently inhibits the sweet receptors on our taste buds; because they therefore distort the flavor of other foods, artichokes are thought to be inappropriate accompaniment to fine wine.

Fruits used as vegetables: nightshade family

Vegetables in the Nightshade FamilyPotato Solanum tuberosum

Eggplant Solanum melongenaSolanum aethiopicum macrocarpon

Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum

Sweet pepper, capsicums, chillis• Bell, pimiento, paprika, jalapeno, serrano, poblano…• Tabasco• Scotch bonnet, habanero• Aji • Manzano

Capsicum species• Capsicum annuum

• Capsicum frutescens• Capsicum chinese• Capsicum baccatum• Capsicum pubescens

Tomatillo Physalis ixocarpaPhysalis philadelphica

Tree tomato Cyphomandra betacea

Fruits used as vegetables: tomato Tomatoes (it. Pomodoro) started out as small, bitter berries growing on bushes in the west coast deserts of South America. Today, after their domestication in Mexico (their name comes from the Aztec term for “plump fruit” tomatl), and a period of European suspicion that lasted into the 19th century, they’re eaten all over the world in a great variety of sizes, shapes, and carotenoid-painted colors. In the United States they’re second in vegetable popularity only to the potato, the starchy vegetable.

Fruits used as vegetables: tomato Ripe tomatoes have an unusually large amount of savory glutamic acid (as musch as 0,3% of their weight), as well as aromatic sulfur compounds. Glutamic acid and sulfur aromas are more common in meats than fruits, and so predispose them to complement the flavor of meats, even to replace that flavor, and certanly to add depth and complexity to sauces and other mixed preparations. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, and the standard red varieties give us an excellent dose of antioxidant carotenoids lycopene (tomato paste).

Fruits used as vegetables: sweet pepper Capsicums or sweet pepper, like tomatoes, are fruits of the New World that conquered the Old. They were domesticated in South America, and are now a defining element of the cuisines of Mexico, Spain, Hungary and many countries in Asia. Green fruits and mature yellow varieties are also rich in the carotenoid lutein, wich helps prevent oxidative damage in the eye. Red varieties, are rich in carotenoids like beta-carotene, the precursor of the vitamin A. Mature red capsicums are amog the richest carotenoid sources we have; they are also rich in vitamin C.

Fruits used as vegetables: eggplant Eggplants are the only major vegetable in the nightshade family that came from the Old World. An early ancestor may have floated from Africa to India or Southeast Asia, where it was domesticated, and where small, bitter varieties are still appreciated as condiment as a condiment. Arab traders brought it to Spain and north Africa in the Middle Ages, and it was eaten in Italy in the 15th century, in France by the 18th. There are many varieties of eggplant; most market types are colored with purple anthocyanins.

Fruits used as vegetables: the squash and cucumber family

Asian and African SpeciesCucumber Cucumis sativusGherkin Cucumis anguriaMelons: cantaloupe, honeydew, etc

Cucumis melo

Watermelon Citrullus lanatusWinter/fuzzy melon, wax gourd

Benincasa hispida

Luffa, ridged gourd Luffa acutangulaBottle gourd, cucuzza, calabash

Lagenaria siceraria

Bitter gourd, bitter melon Momordica charantia

Fruits used as vegetables: the squash and cucumber family

South and North American Species

Summer and acorn squash, zucchini, pumpkin, spaghetti squash

Curcubita pepo

Winter squash: butternut, cheese, kabocha

Curchubita moschata

Winter squash: hubbard, turban, banana, kabocha

Curcubita maxima

Cushaw Curcubita mixta

Chayote, mirliton Sechium edule

Fruits used as vegetables: winter and summer squashes, zucchini

Winter and summer squashes were domesticated in the Americas beginning around 5,000 BC. They are both nutritious – many are rich in beta-carotene and other carotenoids as well as starch and versatile. An healty Mediterranean Diet Recipe is “Kolokythia Yakhni” “Greek Zucchini Stew” (page 341 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) where fresh zucchini are combined with extra-virgin olive oil, onion, tomatoes (or tomato sauce) , sea salt, black pepper, sugar, mint leaves, dill.

Fruits used as vegetables: winter and summer squashes, zucchini

Winter and summer squashes were domesticated in the Americas beginning around 5,000 BC. They are both nutritious – many are rich in beta-carotene and other carotenoids as well as starch and versatile.

Fruits used as vegetables: cucumbers The cucumber was domesticated in India around 1500 BC, arrived in the Mediterranean region about a thousands years later, and is now the second most important curcubit worldwide after the watermelon. There are five broad groups of cucumber varieties. They’re mainly consumed raw or pickled, and sometimes juiced to make a delicacy flavored liquid for use in salad dressings, poaching fish and other producers.

Legumes used as vegetables: green beans Green beans come from a climbing plant native to

Central America and the Andes region of northern South America. There are chlorophyll-free, yellowish “wax” varieties, and purple, chlorophyll-masking anthocyanin varieties that turn green when cooked. Good quality green beans can be hard to find, because they’re one of the most fragile vegetables. Their tissue is very active, so they quickly consume their sugar and lose sweetness even in cold storage and in the refrigerator their cells become damaged and lose chlorophyll.

Legumes used as vegetables: green beans

Recipe

An healty Mediterranean Diet Recipe is “Green Beans with Olive Oil and Tomatoes” (page 322 Mediterranean Diet Cookbook) where fresh green beans are combined with extra-virgin olive oil, fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, sea salt, and fresh lemon juice.

Kcalories on 100 grams of vegatables 1. 9 Kcal Fennels2. 11 Kcal Zucchine3. 12 Kcal Chicory4. 13 Kcal Red radicchio5. 14 Kcal Cucumber6. 15 Kcal Escarole7. 16 Kcal Endive8. 17 Kcal Chard9. 18 Kcal Eggplant, Green beans, turnip10.19 Kcal Lettuce, Beetroot

DEFINITION OF FIBER

• The fiber has been defined1929 by MC Canle and Lawrence than Hipsley has been defined dietary fiber

• Definition’s Hipsley dietary fiber as “the plant polysaccharides and lignin” which are resistant to hydrolysis by digestive enzymes of man

• The definitions that are basad on analytic methodos may include fiber from animal sources

• Thus compounds such as chitosan or glycosaminoglycans are often included in reported fiber valves, tech nically a food manufacurer could add these animal –derived substances to food and report tham as dietary fiber

Low molecular-weight carbohydrates be considered dietary fiber?

Monosaccharides and disaccharidea:

• To be excluded because they are formally characterized as sugars rather than fiber

Oligossacharides and fructans:Oligosaccharides are divided:• Raffinose• Stachyose• verbacoseDo not precipitate in alcohol,

nor do certain manufactured carbohydrates, such as methylcellulose and polydextrose

starch

• It is characterized as dietary fiber by some organizations and countries.

• The properties of resistant starchmimic some of those of traditional dietary fiber

• Resistant starch may occur naturally in the diet, can be manufactured and occur as a product of the processing of food(in the US diet, manufactured resistant stach is increasing)

• Food that contain significant amounts of resistent starch include legumes, green bananas and potatoes that have been cooked and allowed to cool

Physiologic effects and potential health benefitis of high fiber foods

• It’s not clear that same effects nd benefits would accrue if the fiber were extracted from the food or synthesized in the laboratory; it’s possible foran isolated fiber to be even more effective than it’s original food source, but it’s also possible that an isolated fiber may lose its efficacy

• The fact that fiber is not digested and absorbed and therefore passes relatively intact into the colon is a beneficial effect ;others argue that to be beneficial, a fiber must result in some health benefit like: glucose levels- low density lipoprotein- cholesterol

The effect of fiber on gastrointestinal physiology

• On the gastrointestinal tract depend on specific properties of fiber, most importantly viscosity and fermentability for the colon

• Until: The Term “ soluble fiber” was used to omaracterize those fiber that are viscous and are capable of attenuating blood glucose concentration and lowering LDL cholesterol levels

• Now: not all soluble fibers are viscous but insoluble fiber are viscous again not all insoluble fibers promote laxation

The effect of fiber on the stomach

• The fiber remains intact in the stomach as well as in the small intestine

• The presence of viscous fiber in the stomach can delay the rate of emptying of ingested food from the stomach into the duodenum by forming a viscous, gel-like consistency

Effect of fiber on the small intestine• The gel-like environment in the small intestine produced

from viscous fiber has been shown to inhibit the activity of enzymes associated with fat, carboydrate and protein digestion the intestinal absorption of fat, cholesterol ,carbohydrate and protein has been reported to be reduced with fiber consumption as determined by increased fecal content of these macronutrients, resulting in decreased metabolizable energy.

• Fiber consumption as a result of delayed gastric emptying or a reduced rate of carbohydrate digestion, has been reported to reduce the glycemic index of meals

• Reducing the risk of and treatment for duodenal ulcers in particular fiber from fruits and vegetables but not cereal fiber

Effect of the fiber on the large intestine• Fermentation: the effect of the fiber depending large part on its fermentability,

which, in turn, depends on both the physiciochemical propeties of the fiber and the colonic microflora

• Fiber such as oat bran, pectin, guar agent are highly fermented than cellulose • Fruts and vegetables are rich in hemicelluloses and pectins contain more

fementable fiber than do cereal• The highly fermentable fibers are not good bulking agent, they produce large

amounts of short-chain fatty acids including butyrate (primary energy for the colon) and is hypothesized to be protective against colon cancer

• The poorly fermentable fibers contribute more to fecal bulk also attact water, it’s important to laxation.

• When a fiber is fermented hydrogen carbon dioxide, methane and other gases are formed, as are short-chain fatty acids the principal anions in the colon

• To be protective against colon cancer, thanks highty fermentable

Fatty acids and butyrate paradox• The literature on the ability of

butyrate to decrease the growth of human colon cancer cell lines by decreasing cell prodiferation and increasing cell death is substantial(47-48)

• The four-carbon short-chain fatty acid produced from fiber fermentation

• Many studies, providing butyrate in the diet, in drinking water(50) failed to find a chemoprotective effect of butyrate

Whether or not butyrate is protective against colon cancer development remains the subject of active debate!

Laxation

• A wide range of the contribution of dietary fiber to fecal weight an increase of 5.7 g fecal bulk/g of wheat brain fed compared with 1.3g/g of pectin in the diet

• The greater the weight of the stool, the more rapid is the rate of passage through the colon , thus the better the laxative effect.

• The some propeties that result in increased laxation( water- holding capacity and bulking ability) are thought to reduce intracolonic pressure and to lower the risk for diverticular disease.

Contribution of fiber to energy

• The amount of energy contributed by dietary fiber is the subject bof considerable debate

• Some fiber researchers say that the contribution is negligibile because of some interference with the absorption of energy-containing macronutrients, copled with a very small contribution to metabolizable energy through the production of absorbed fermentation products

Dietary fiber• Dietary fiber, particularly viscous fiber, has been reported to

reduce hunger• In part to delayed emptying of the gastric contents and can

cause an extended feeling of fullness• Some studies have not shown an effect on satiety with fiber

intake, and this difference has been partially attributed to the level of fiber consumed

• The consumption of an additional 14g/day of fiber is associated with a 10% decrease in energy intake

• Observational date showed that dietary fiber intake is positively associated with a lower incidence of obesity and a lower body mass index

• Weight gain was inversely associated with consumption of high-fiber , whole-grain foods

Fiber and glucose intolerance, insulin response, and diabetes

• 10.8g of beet fiber was added to the diet, the glucose plateau leval and area under the curve were lower compared with their values when patients consumed diets without beet fiber

• Viscous fibers to lower the glicemic response of a meal has been attributed to delayed gastric emptyng and slowed rate of digestion and absorption

• The consumption of fiber-containing foods can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (bran, brown rice, whole-grain cereals ,dark bread)

• Cereal fiber intake was negatively associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes

Lipoprotein cholesterol levels

• The fiber has a cholesterol-lowering effect of infferegesting dint types of viscous fibers( pectin, guar, oat, bran, psyllium..) in particular reduction LDL

• The protective effect of the fiber againest cholesterol is not limited to soluble fibers in fact there are especially cereal fibers

Glycemic response and insulin resistance

• Risk of cardiovascular: • Hiperglycemia is independently associaed with the risk of

cardiovascular disease in the general population• The mechanisms by which hyperglycemia may contribuite to

CHD includide the induction of oxidative stress• Hyperglycemia may increase insulin levels, which could

increase the risk for CHD through the insulin resistent syndrome

Blood triglycerides

• One concern with low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets that are currently recommended to protect againest the development of heart disease is that these diets may increase bloond triglyceride levels

• Fiber intake may play a role in the reduction of blood triglycerides

• If the high-carbohydrate diet is also a high-fiber diet, one will see a small reduction in fasting triglyceride levels

Lowering blood pressure

• Salt and protein intake can affect blood pressure

• Additive effect was shown in a trial conducted in hypertensive patients in whole protein and fiber supplements in combination resulted in a deecrease in systolic blood pressure of 5.9 mm hg

Cancer

• The dietary fiber in take was protective againes colorectal cancer13.5g/day bran fiber versus and 2g/day bran fiber

• Estrogens are excreted from the body by way of the gastrointestinal tract, but thay may be reabsorbed if thay are in their unconjugated form; fiber can bind directly to unconjugated estrogens,thus interfering with their resbsorption, and fiber can also decrease the numbers of deconjugating bacteria

• The dietary fiber intake was protective againest breast cancer,ovarian and prostate cancer.

Fiber rich food (vegetables) on 100 gm 1. Artichoke 5,00g 2. Bruxelles sprouts 5,00g 3. Carrrots 3,10g 4. Chicory 3,10g 5. Red Radicchio 3,00g 6. Green Beans 2,90g 7. Broccoli 2,90g 8. Eggplant 2,60g 9. Turnip 2,60g 10.Beetroot 2,60g 11.Cabbage, cauliflower 2,60g

Fiber rich food (fruits) on 100 gm 1. Raspberry 7,40g 2. Prickly pear 5,00g 3. Pear 3,80g 4. Blackberry 3,20g 5. Blueberries 3,10g 6. Khaki 2,50g 7. Kiwi 2,20g 8. Plums 2,20g 9. Pommegranate 2,20g 10.Medlar 2,10g 11.Apple 2,00g 12.Fig fruit 2,00g