Nutritional Adequacy of the Mediterranean Diet

In recent years there has been an increased interest in finding a dietary pattern that satisfies a population's nutritional requirements. The Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP) encapsulates a beneficial fatty acid profile with high monounsaturated fatty acids content, a low proportion of carbohydrate, and high intake of dietary fiber and antioxidant compounds that work together to produce beneficial effects on health. Greater adherence to this pattern has been related to a reduced risk of mortality and decreased incidence of cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Nutritional adequacy is the probability of a certain nutrient intake to be adequate for an individual and can be estimated if the requirement distribution is known. Prevalence of nutrient inadequacy in groups can be estimated by the average requirement cut-point method. However, indices or dietary patterns can also be used because they correlate considerably well with nutritional adequate intakes. The MDP has been associated on an increased probability of fulfilling nutrient recommendations. Therefore, preserving the Mediterranean diet should be encouraged in health promotion strategies instead of alternatives such as fortification and supplementation.