Live 12:00 – 1:00 P.M Mediterranean Diet and Lifestyle: A Symposium on Diet and Human Health : October 19, 2018
Reporter: Stephen J. Williams, Ph.D.
12.00 The Italian Mediterranean Diet as a Model of Identity of a People with a Universal Good to Safeguard Health?
Prof. Antonino De Lorenzo, MD, PhD.
Director of the School of Specialization in Clinical Nutrition, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
It is important to determine how our bodies interacts with the environment, such as absorption of nutrients.
Studies shown here show decrease in life expectancy of a high sugar diet, but the quality of the diet, not just the type of diet is important, especially the role of natural probiotics and phenolic compounds found in the Mediterranean diet.
The WHO report in 2005 discusses the unsustainability of nutrition deficiencies and suggest a proactive personalized and preventative/predictive approach of diet and health.
Most of the noncommunicable diseases like CV (46%) cancer 21% and 11% respiratory and 4% diabetes could be prevented and or cured with proper dietary approaches
Italy vs. the US diseases: in Italy most disease due to environmental contamination while US diet plays a major role
The issue we are facing in less than 10% of the Italian population (fruit, fibers, oils) are not getting the proper foods, diet and contributing to as we suggest 46% of the disease
The Food Paradox: 1.5 billion are obese; we notice we are eating less products of quality and most quality produce is going to waste;
- growing BMI and junk food: our studies are correlating the junk food (pre-prepared) and global BMI
- modern diet and impact of human health (junk food high in additives, salt) has impact on microflora
- Western Diet and Addiction: We show a link (using brain scans) showing correlation of junk food, sugar cravings, and other addictive behaviors by affecting the dopamine signaling in the substantia nigra
- developed a junk food calculator and a Mediterranean diet calculator
- the intersection of culture, food is embedded in the Mediterranean diet; this is supported by dietary studies of two distinct rural Italian populations (one of these in the US) show decrease in diet
- Impact of diet: have model in Germany how this diet can increase health and life expectancy
- from 1950 to present day 2.7 unit increase in the diet index can increase life expectancy by 26%
- so there is an inverse relationship with our index and breast cancer
Environment and metal contamination and glyphosate: contribution to disease and impact of maintaining the healthy diet
- huge problem with use of pesticides and increase in celiac disease
12:30 Environment and Health
Dr. Iris Maria Forte, PhD.
National Cancer Institute “Pascale” Foundation | IRCCS · Department of Research, Naples, Italy
Cancer as a disease of the environment. Weinberg’s hallmarks of Cancer reveal how environment and epigenetics can impact any of these hallmarks.
Epigenetic effects
- gene gatekeepers (Rb and P53)
- DNA repair and damage stabilization
Heavy Metals and Dioxins:( alterations of the immune system as well as epigenetic regulations)
Asbestos and Mesothelioma: they have demonstrated that p53 can be involved in development of mesothelioma as reactivating p53 may be a suitable strategy for therapy
Diet, Tomato and Cancer
- looked at tomato extract on p53 function in gastric cancer: tomato extract had a growth reduction effect and altered cell cycle regulation and results in apoptosis
- RBL2 levels are increased in extract amount dependent manner so data shows effect of certain tomato extracts of the southern italian tomato ( )
Antonio Giordano: we tested whole extracts of almost 30 different varieties of tomato. The tomato variety with highest activity was near Ravela however black tomatoes have shown high antitumor activity. We have done a followup studies showing that these varieties, if grow elsewhere lose their antitumor activity after two or three generations of breeding, even though there genetics are similar. We are also studying the effects of different styles of cooking of these tomatoes and if it reduces antitumor effect
please see post https://news.temple.edu/news/2017-08-28/muse-cancer-fighting-tomatoes-study-italian-food
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