"The benefits of the Mediterranean diet have been proven for a long time. It includes seafood (octopus, squid, shrimp) and fatty fish, salmon family. These products contain a large amount of essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Avocados and nuts are also a source of omega-3, and the inhabitants of this region get enough iodine and other trace elements from seaweed, "he explained.
For example, in the diet of residents of Italy and Spain there are a lot of fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs - this is a storehouse of useful trace elements and fiber, normalizing the work of the gastrointestinal tract, the expert said.
"An essential ingredient in their diet is freshly squeezed olive oil, which is rich in unsaturated fats. Such a diet helps in the prevention of cancer and atherosclerosis, in which cholesterol plaques form on the walls of blood vessels. The products that make up this diet increase the outflow of bile, along with which cholesterol is excreted from the body, which allows you to keep the vessels healthy, "the specialist said.
The main cause of death around the world are heart attacks and strokes due to atherosclerosis, which is caused by malnutrition, lack of physical activity and stress, the interlocutor of RT recalled.
"Residents of the Mediterranean region have minimized these factors in their lives, so they rarely experience cardiovascular disease. And they practically do not know what diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism (decreased thyroid function due to iodine deficiency), allergies and bronchial asthma are, "Brykin emphasized.
Separately, in his opinion, it is worth dwelling on the centenarians of the Caucasus, who eat a lot of fried red meat, which is harmful to the body and increases the risk of cancer.
"But they have been consuming it for centuries, and their gastrointestinal tract is more adapted to digest such coarse food. In addition, the phenomenon of longevity in the mountainous regions of the Caucasus is associated with the use of melt water - there are studies that prove its health benefits. To this should be added clean mountain air, a leisurely course of life and great physical activity, "the sports nutritionist concluded.
Earlier, nutritionist Anton Brykin told in an interview with RT why it is necessary to have breakfast daily and how the absence of this meal can affect health.