Trichopoulou Antonia, MD

WHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition

Department of Epidemiology

Medical School, University of Athens

Mediterranean diet, traditional Greek foods and health

Conference on Greek Gastronomy

CRETE 8 June 2007

Study of Traditional Foods in Greece

Health aspects

Cultural aspects

Economical aspects

Health aspects of traditional foods

Τraditional foods are often considered healthy

However, the influence of the simple and composite traditional foods on health should be substantiated by scientific evidence

Cultural aspects of traditional foods

Α need also exists to systematically study

traditional foods in order to preserve

elements of our

nutritional inheritance and culture

Economic aspects

The combination of healthy and palatable properties of traditional foods

creates

promising prospects for the production and

export activities of the food sector

Rather than single foods or nutrients, a global health dietary

pattern could exert protective effect

The combination of different types of food with healthy

characteristics might be necessary to harvest their

protective potential

STUDY OF TRADITIONAL FOODS

Provides scientific evidence on the effects of traditional foods on health

Contributes to the preservation of our cultural inheritance

Study of Traditional Foods

Traditional Yogurt Tzatziki Feta Cheese Cheese of Sifnos

Unsalted Mizithra

Paste Must cookies Traditional Spoon Sweets Watermelon peel spoon sweetHalva made from tachini Pasteli

Bean Soup MousakaCretan green pies Fava (split pea puree) of Santorini Ipirus Green Pie Macedonia Green Pie Sausages with leek Limnos Fried Courgette Sausages with orange peel Egg-plant SaladSiglino (cured pork meat) Taramosalata (Fish Roe Salad) Tsakoniki Egg-Plant Dish Chick Pea Balls of Sifnos IslandEggplant pickles Garlic dip Tomato paste Maize cream

Cretan “Sevendough” BreadCheese bread

The above studies have been co-financed by the Hellenic General Secretariat of Research and Technology and the European Union

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)

Protected Geographical Indication ( PGI)

Flavonoid content of green pies (mg/100g) and selected beverages (mg/100ml)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Quercetin Kaempferol Myricetin Apigenin Luteolin

Green pie Red wine Black tea Apple juice

Trichopoulou et al. Food Chemistry 2000

The saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated(g/100ml) and cholesterol (mg/100g)

content of sesame bar and other snacks

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Saturated g Monounsaturated g Polyunsaturated g Cholesterol mg

Sesame bar (pasteli) Milk chocolate Mars Bar Waffer Biscuits (filled) Biscuits (plain) Cake Doughnut with marmelade

Trichopoulou et al. Trends in Food Science&Technology in press

The content of sesame bar and other snacks in inorganic constituents (mg/100g)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

K Na Ca Mg P

Sesame bar (pasteli) Milk chocolate Mars Bar Waffer Biscuits (filled) Biscuits (plain) Cake Doughnut with marmelade

Trichopoulou et al. Trends in Food Science&Technology in press

Sea Urchin (Achinos)

Snails boubouristi

Pearl onions, cooked (kremidia stifado)

1

10

100

1000

10000

log

(da

ily

in

tak

e,

mg

)

K Fe Na Ca Mg Zn Cu Mn

Inorganic constituents

Mediterranean menu

EC daily recommendations

1. Commission of the European Communities. Food-Science Techniques: Reports of the Scientific Committee for Food (Thirty-first series), Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg,1993,pp 1-248

1

The Netherlands

Tea beverages

Onions

Apples

Greece

Apples

Parsley

Onions

Olives

Spring onions

Red wine

Spinach

Contributors to the main flavonoids categories intake for Greece & The

Netherlands

1

1. Hertog, Hollman, Katan, Kromhout “Intake of potentially anticarcinogenic flavonoids and their determinants in adults in The Netherlands”, Nutr Cancer 1993;20(1):21-9

The flavonol, flavone and flavan-3-ol content of a typical traditional serving of fava complemented with "caper in casserole" sauce

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1

mg

/ s

erv

ing

Caper in casserole

Fava of Santorini

Πηγή: Mελέτη της ποιότητας των Ελληνικών παραδοσιακών τροφίμων και εκβιομηχάνιση της παραγωγής τους (2003-2007) στο πλαίσιο των“Επιχειρησιακών Προγραμμάτων Ανταγωνιστικότητας” ΕΠΑΝ - ΤΡ13

% Ca content of Green pie of Chalkidiki

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1

mg

Ca

/ 100

g g

reen

pie

of

Ch

alki

dik

i

Water

Pepper

Salt

Corn starch

Semolina

Extra virgin olive oil

Flour

Dill

Onion, dry

Spring onion

Leek

Spinach

Corn poppy

Wild sea-beet

Source: Contribution of traditional Greek foods to the health of consumers “ 97-DIATRO-30” (1999 – 2001) implemented in the context of “Operational Programmes for Research and Technology” EPET II

CONCLUSIONS

high flavonoid content- obtained from wide range of foods

highest contributors : oranges, apples, red wine, parlsey & onions

oSignificant contribution from herbs & spices

The investigated traditional Mediterranean menu :

meets current dietary recommendations – balanced diet

Trichopoulou et al. 2005 Diet diversification and health promotion. Forum Nutr.Basel, Karger,

Vasilopoulou et al. 2005 Curr.Med.Chem-Immun, Endoc.& Metab.Agents,

"Let food be thy medicine

and

medicine be thy food"

Hippocrates

“Traditional Food" definition – EuroFIR

Traditional means conforming to established practice or specifications prior to the Second World War. Traditional food is a food of a specific feature or features, which distinguish it clearly from other similar products of the same category, in terms of the use of “traditional ingredients” (raw materials or primary products) or “traditional composition” or “traditional type of production and/or processing method” as defined below:

Trichopoulou et al. 2006 Trends in Food Science&Technology,

For traditional foods, the European Parliament suggested that only products that have been on the market “since before the Second World War” should be eligible for the appropriate label

European Parliament16-03-2006

It was regulated that "traditional" means proven usage on the Community market for a time period showing transmission between generations

This time period should be the one generally ascribed to one human generation, at least 25 years

European Council on TSGs(regulation 509/06)

TRADITION D0ES NOT MEAN STILLNESS

Adaptability

BeansTomatoes

The Mediterranean basin has been for millennia a cross road of people and civilizations

Here, for five thousand years, boats, carriages, people, merchandise, but also creative ideas and religions have converged

         

 

Gods did not reveal everything to man from the beginning but people researching discover with time the better.

Xenophanes fragment 18 6th century B.C.

    

The Mediterranean diet and healt

Thank you for your attention