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Editorial
. 2020 Jul 16;9(7):940.
doi: 10.3390/foods9070940.

Healthy Diets and Modifiable Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Diseases-The European Perspective

Marcello Iriti  1 , Elena Maria Varoni  2 , Sara Vitalini  1
Affiliations
Editorial

Healthy Diets and Modifiable Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Diseases-The European Perspective

Marcello Iriti et al. Foods. .

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases pose a serious threat to Western countries, in particular to European populations. In this context, healthy diets, such as the Mediterranean diet and the New Nordic diet developed in 2004, in addition to other healthy lifestyle choices (i.e., regular and low to moderate intensity levels of physical activity) can contribute to reduce the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (majorly preventable, diet-related, non-communicable diseases), including being overweight, obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. The Mediterranean diet and the Nordic diet share common traits: they are rich in nutrient-dense foods (mostly plant-derived foods) and low in energy-dense foods (mainly of animal origin). However, more studies are needed to ascertain the long-term effects of adherence to both dietary styles with regards to disease prevalence and incidence, especially for the New Nordic Diet.

Keywords: Mediterranean diet; Nordic diet; bioactive phytochemicals; cardiovascular disease; functional foods; nutraceuticals; obesity; overweight.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 population in 2014—ischemic heart diseases (both sexes) in selected European countries (from: WHO Mortality Database, https://apps.who.int/healthinfo/statistics/mortality/whodpms/).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 population—diabetes mellitus (both sexes) in selected European countries (from: WHO Mortality Database, https://apps.who.int/healthinfo/statistics/mortality/whodpms/).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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