Western Dietary Profiles and Trends

In previous chapters, emphasis was given to some special food nutrients and formulations with
healthy functional characteristics. It was also briefly described the general composition and properties
of the so called traditional “Mediterranean diet” and life style which scientists have been attributed to
lower incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases and longevity of populations living in the
Mediterranean basin areas (Sofi, 2009). Contrary to those healthier and recommended dietary habits,
the Western dietary profiles has been described as presenting undesirable characteristics which tends
to favour body weight gain, obesity, metabolic syndrome which anticipates and stimulates the
establishment of chronic diseases such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia cardiovascular diseases,
diabetes and neurological disturbances (Mendonça et al., 2016).