Tested for thousands of years Mediterranean food has been acclaimed internationally, not only for its wide variety (fish, rice, beans, meat, olive oil), but also for the health benefits and many properties it exerts. Mediterranean diet has been associated in several studies with a significant amelioration of multiple risk factors, including among some of them a better cardiovascular risk profile, reduced oxidative stress and modulation of inflammation [12]. Image left: Olives by Peter Firminger under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC by 2.0).

The most commonly used herbs in Mediterranean food are rosemary, parsley, sage, garlic and oregano, among many others, but if something can be identified as integral part of the Mediterranean diet is olives, and even more olive oil. Mediterranean diet can be identified in high consumption of fruits and vegetables, olive oil as principal source of fat, low consumption of meat and dairy products and moderate consumption of wine [12]. Now, a study reveals other properties that relate to its benefits for bone formation.

OLEA EUROPAEA

Family: Oleaceae
Genus: Olea
Common name: Olives

Origanum vulgare (oregano), a plant already known to have many benefits for your health and to exert anti-cancer properties in many types of human cancers, as for example human chronic myelogenous erythroleukaemia (K562) and bladder carcinoma (RT112) [7], has been recently the subject of a study, permformed by Long Island University, on the effects of an active constituents found on oregano, namely carvacrol [9], for the treatment of prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in American men.

The results of this research, presented at the Experimental Biology 2012 conference in San Diego on April 24, an annual gathering of six scientific societies and draws more than 13,000 scientists and exhibitors from around the world, are explained in this article and are amazing. Image: Bluemenbiene, under (CC BY 2.0) license.

ORIGANUM VULGARE 

Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Origanum 
Common names: Oregano. Italian: Herba acciuga, origano. English: Wild marjoram, oregan. French: Marjolaine bâtarde, Marjolaine sauvage, Origan.

High cholesterol levels are not only unhealthy but a considerable big risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In order to lower cholesterol levels and prevent cardiovascular disease problems at a later stage, sport, supplements and several diets have been recommended, however some of them are not easy to follow while others are not really so effective.

This article will cover certain herbs claimed to be effective to reduce cholesterol levels, the evidence on which those claims can be based upon and if they are truth on simply part of the local traditional legends and folklore about herbal remedies.

ALLIUM SATIVUM

Family: Amaryllidaceae
Genus: Allium
Common name: Garlic

Getting close to summer holidays. It's getting time to plan where and what to do, but aren't you tired of having to eat always the same meals in hotels and restaurants. Depending on the country or even within the same country on the region, food is either too fatty, too spicy...you name it, but for sure there is one everyone likes, Mediterranean food.

Tested during thousands of years Mediterranean food has been acclaimed internationally, not only for its variety (fish, rice, beans, meat, olive oil), but also for the benefits it reports to your health. Mediterranean diet has been associated in several studies with a significant amelioration of multiple risk factors, including among some of them a better cardiovascular risk profile, reduced oxidative stress and modulation of inflammation [12].

On this article we would like to mention some of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet and on which scientific evidence they are based upon. Let's try to first explain what is the Mediterranean diet.