Mediterranean eating pattern among a Chinese population

BACKGROUND, Subjects with a Mediterranean eating pattern would be a low risk for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS, The eating pattern of two subsets of subjects was evaluated by an accurate alimentary interview, the first composed of Italian subjects living in Liguria, a region overlooking the Mediterranean sea, and the second composed of individuals from Si-Chuan, a continental region in north western China. RESULTS. In the two groups the Mediterranean dieting score was very similar, while a detailed diet composition assessment showed that in the customary food intake reported by Chinese individuals the unsaturated to saturated fat acids ratio and the omega 6 to omega 3 fat acids ratio was sharply lower and higher, respectively, in comparison with the corresponding values referred to by the Mediterranean people. DISCUSSION. These results suggest that the eating style of the population from the region of Si-Chuan seems to be similar to that found in Northern Europe and the US, and therefore subjects might be at increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome.