Background Mediterranean Food Patterns: The View from Antiquity, Ancient Greeks and Romans, Louis E. Grivetti Mediterranean Diet: Historical Background and Dietary Patterns in Pre-World War II Greece, Antonia-Leda Matalas The Mediterranean Diet: Definition, Epidemiological Aspects, and Current Patterns, Antonia Trichopoulou and Pagona Lagiou Dietary Constituents Fats and Oils, Apostolos K. Kyritsakis, Konstantinos A. Kyritsakis, and Maria-Nectaria Mavroudi Fruits, Vegetables, Legumes, and Grains, George D. Nanos and Dimitrios G. Gerasopoulos Milk and Dairy Products, Antonios J. Mantis Meat and Meat Products, Spyros A Georgakis Alcoholic Beverages, Mary Yannakoulia and Tonia Vassilakou Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Mediterranean Diet and Longevity, George Mamalakis and Anthony Kafatos Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity, and the Mediterranean Diet, Nicholas L. Katsilambros and Antonis Zampelas The Mediterranean Diet and Coronary Heart Disease, Antonis Zampelas, Michael Hourdakis, and Niko Yiannakouris Cancer and the Mediterranean Diet, Constantina Papoutsakis-Tsarouhas, and Ira Wolinsky The Cyprus Experience, Michael Tornaritis, Savvas C. Savva, Maria Shamounki, Yiannis A. Kourides, and Charalambos Hadjigeorgiou Nutrition Policy Issues and Further Research on the Mediterranean Diet: The Importance of Monounsaturated Fatty Acids, Michael J. Gibney and Helen M. Roche