Diet and health
It is widely known that diet can influence our health, both positively and negatively. Read my blog to get updated about the latest news in diet and health.
Diabetes is now a global problem 382 million adults (8.3% of the world’s population) live with diabetes and, according to the estimates of the International Diabetes Federation, this number is expected to rise to 592 million by 2035. In 2013 over € 100 billions were spent in Europe in terms of health expenditure attributable to this
As a general rule, adverse food reactions that are not triggered by immunological mechanisms are referred to as food intolerances. In this case, the reaction is reproducible and the severity of the symptoms is dose-dependent, in contrast to allergies. Enzymatic food intolerance They are caused by the inability to metabolize some substances present in
The part of the food responsible for the adverse reaction is called the antigen or allergen. Foods contain a large number of molecules with antigen power (over 6,000) but fortunately, in most individuals only a few of them induce sensitization. Under normal conditions, our body has effective defence systems: the enzymatic and mucous secretions of
Food allergies and intolerances, better defined as adverse reactions to food, are on the rise in the Western world, as are allergies in general. European studies estimated a prevalence rate of around 7.5% in children and 2% in adults. Despite a constant increase in the prevalence of these disorders, there is still a lot of
Many studies have investigated the health effects of the Mediterranean diet In a previous post I introduced the history of the Mediterranean diet, which is probably one of the most popular diets worldwide. Here I would like to describe with more detail the studies that have been performed so far to evaluate the health effects
Not all extra-virgin olive oils were created equal. Some extra-virgin olive oils are of good quality while some others simply aren’t. Although, it is always advisable to prefer extra-virgin olive oils, which must conform to specific quality parameters established by the law. However, even extra-virgin olive oils are not necessarily of the best quality. In particular,
Do you know how to properly use fruit, vegetables and legumes? Have you ever wondered whether you are using fruit, vegetables and legumes…. “correctly”? Well, first of all (and quite obviously), you should always try not to allow freshly purchased fruit and vegetables to sit in your fridge or pantry for extended periods of time
Alcoholic drinks can be both good and bad for you Alcoholic drinks consist mainly of water and mostly ethyl alcohol (also called ethanol). A very small proportion is represented by other substances, naturally present or added, such as certain aromatic compounds, pigmented substances, bioactive compounds, vitamins, etc. Ethanol, a substance that is not essential to
Olive oil is considered one of the healthiest oils we consume. The reason might be due to its high oleic acid and squalene content In this post, I would like to describe a few characteristics that make olive oil one of the best condiments you can use in your everyday cooking practice. Oleic acid is the
Olive oil: the king of the Mediterranean cuisine Where does olive oil come from? The origins of olive cultivation coincide with those of the Mediterranean civilisation. The first olive groves were cultivated in Syria and Palestine and, around 1000 BC, it spread to Italy, where optimal conditions (i.e. a mild climate, the presence of water and