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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Effects of Agricultural Intensification on Mediterranean Diets: A Narrative Review
Foods, Vol.12(20), 3779
14/10/2023
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Abstract
Introduction: Mediterranean diets (MedDiets) are linked to substantial health benefits. However, there is also growing evidence that the intensification of food production over the last 60 years has resulted in nutritionally relevant changes in the composition of foods that may augment the health benefits of MedDiets. Objective: To synthesize, summarize, and critically evaluate the currently available evidence for changes in food composition resulting from agricultural intensification practices and their potential impact on the health benefits of MedDiets. Methods: We summarized/synthesized information from (i) systematic literature reviews/meta-analyses and more recently published articles on composition differences between conventional and organic foods, (ii) desk studies which compared food composition data from before and after agricultural intensification, (iii) recent retail and farm surveys and/or factorial field experiments that identified specific agronomic practices responsible for nutritionally relevant changes in food composition, and (iv) a recent systematic literature review and a small number of subsequently published observational and dietary intervention studies that investigated the potential health impacts of changes in food composition resulting from agricultural intensification. Results and Discussion: There has been growing evidence that the intensification of food production has resulted in (i) lower concentrations of nutritionally desirable compounds (e.g., phenolics, certain vitamins, mineral micronutrients including Se, Zn, and omega-3 fatty acids, α-tocopherol) and/or (ii) higher concentrations of nutritionally undesirable or toxic compounds (pesticide residues, cadmium, omega-6 fatty acids) in many of the foods (including wholegrain cereals, fruit and vegetables, olive oil, dairy products and meat from small ruminants, and fish) that are thought to contribute to the health benefits associated with MedDiets. The evidence for negative health impacts of consuming foods from intensified conventional production systems has also increased but is still limited and based primarily on evidence from observational studies. Limitations and gaps in the current evidence base are discussed. Conclusions: There is now substantial evidence that the intensification of agricultural food production has resulted in a decline in the nutritional quality of many of the foods that are recognized to contribute to the positive health impacts associated with adhering to traditional MedDiets. Further research is needed to quantify to what extent this decline augments the positive health impacts of adhering to a traditional MedDiet.
Details
- Title
- Effects of Agricultural Intensification on Mediterranean Diets: A Narrative Review
- Creators
- Gultekin Hasanaliyeva - Nottingham Trent UniversityEnas Khalid Sufar - Newcastle UniversityJuan Wang - Newcastle UniversityLeonidas Rempelos - Newcastle UniversityNikolaos Volakakis - Newcastle UniversityPer Ole Iversen - University of OsloCarlo Leifert - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Foods, Vol.12(20), 3779
- Publisher
- MDPI
- Grant note
- This research was funded by the European Union’s fifth (QualityLowInputFood Grant agreement 506358), sixth (NUE-crops Grant agreement 222-645), and seventh (HealthyMinorCereals Grant agreement 613609) Framework Program, the DEFRA LINK-project Better Organic Bread (BOB), DEFRA’s Sustainable Intensification Research Platform (SIP), and the Sheepdrove Trust.
- Identifiers
- 991013143592302368
- Copyright
- © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article