What is metabolic syndrome

Mediterranean diet By metabolic syndrome, doctors mean a series of problems including high cholesterol and high blood sugar and triglyceride values, which in a man or a woman can lead to serious consequences for the heart : in short, the metabolic syndrome is a condition often close to obesity, especially when the body fat is of the visceral type (belly), with overexertion of the internal organs and blood circulation, but it is also the forerunner of serious and more specific diseases such as diabetes or atherosclerosis . In short, when in a person with localized obesity problems, we speak of high cholesterol, high triglycerides and hyperglycemia above all, we are already in a metabolic syndrome picture, given that each of these imbalances is a real metabolic alteration.
What is the metabolic syndrome due to? A diet that is both too loaded in sugar and fat. By sugars we obviously mean carbohydrates, so those who eat a lot of pasta, rice and white bread, drink a lot of wine or abuse alcohol, and eat heavily (heavy condiments, a significant amount of saturated fat, etc.) are at risk of metabolic syndrome.

According to a Spanish research, the Mediterranean diet, that is a diet with the consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, olive oil and other good vegetable oils, legumes, fish, nuts and seeds, fights the metabolic syndrome. According to experts, even the so-called dried fruit has an anti-cholesterol effect and therefore counteracts hypercholesterolemia. The reason why the true Mediterranean diet contrasts the metabolic syndrome is clear: high fiber content given by wholemeal, fruit, vegetables and legumes and good fats given by olive oil , olives, fatty fish (sardines, anchovies), from dried fruit which in many cities is also eaten at the end of a meal. Low glycemic index of foods.
But let’s stop for a moment on this strange beast called the “Mediterranean diet”, and based, in other Mediterranean countries such as Spain and Greece, on whole grains, fruit, vegetables, olive oil and other good vegetable oils, legumes, fish, nuts and seeds : how many of us usually consume whole grain? What position does Italy place in regards to the Mediterranean diet? Let’s all take the ring off our noses. Italy is not doing well, neither as regards the consumption of wholemeal bread and pasta compared to normal pasta and normal bread, nor as the consumption of wholemeal cereals.
We are not the cradle of the Mediterranean diet, at most its diaper! So when we hear about these researches, and yet we all find ourselves obese or with high cholesterol, we must not doubt the results of the research or the goodness of the Mediterranean diet, but ask ourselves what kind of diet is the Italian diet, the one that allows extinction of foods based on ancient grains and traditional products to buy all pasta and pizzas from the supermarket. Those good results don’t concern us, then. Non-Italians, we are now anything but Mediterranean