applied sciences Review The Beneficial Health Effects of Vegetables and Wild Edible Greens: The Case of the Mediterranean Diet and Its Sustainability Elena Chatzopoulou 1 ,Márcio Carocho 2 , Francesco Di Gioia 3 and Spyridon A. Petropoulos 4,* 1 Kent Business School, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NZ, Kent, UK;
[email protected] 2 Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal;
[email protected] 3 Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, 207 Tyson Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA;
[email protected] 4 Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, Greece * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +30-2421-09-3196 Received: 20 November 2020; Accepted: 17 December 2020; Published: 21 December 2020 Abstract: The Mediterranean diet (MD) concept as currently known describes the dietary patterns that were followed in specific regions of the area in the 1950s and 1960s. The broad recognition of its positive effects on the longevity of Mediterranean populations also led to the adoption of this diet in other regions of the world, and scientific interest focused on revealing its health effects. MD is not only linked with eating specific nutritional food products but also with social, religious, environmental, and cultural aspects, thus representing a healthy lifestyle in general. However, modern lifestyles adhere to less healthy diets, alienating people from their heritage. Therefore, considering the increasing evidence of the beneficial health effects of adherence to the MD and the ongoing transitions in consumers’ behavior, the present review focuses on updating the scientific knowledge regarding this diet and its relevance to agrobiodiversity.