Title:Nutraceutical-based Integrative Medicine: Adopting a Mediterranean Diet Pyramid for Attaining Healthy Ageing in Veterans with Disabilities
Volume: 24
Issue: 35
Author(s): Mario Ciccotti, Anna Raguzzini, Tommaso Sciarra, Giovina Catasta, Paola Aiello, Cosimo Buccolieri, Raffaella Reggi, Maura Palmery, Florigio Lista and Ilaria Peluso*
Affiliation:
- Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN), Rome,Italy
Keywords:
Post-traumatic stress disorder, spinal cord injury, rehabilitation, cognition, energy balance, water balance.
Abstract: Veterans with disability represent a big burden worldwide and often require long-term rehabilitation.
Unhealthy dietary and lifestyle habits, including smoke and alcohol abuse, are common in veterans. In the context
of integrative medicine approaches, the “complementary and alternative medicine” has been suggested for the
management of chronic diseases. However, the potential risk of interaction between herbal products, dietary
supplements and drugs must be considered in veterans. The Mediterranean diet has been suggested as a natural,
non-pharmacological nutraceutical for healthy ageing. Although there is a broad consensus on the positive effect
of plant foods consumption, the presence of glucosinolates, flavonoids and furanocoumarins in some plant foods
and beverages must be taken into consideration owing to their potential interfering with drugs metabolism and
bioavailability. Albeit seasonality could ensure the maintenance of the single dose of phytochemical below that at
which adverse effects in some individuals genetically predisposed or unpleasant drug interactions in diseased
subjects can occur, a personalized nutrition is recommended in veterans who are under treatment for comorbidities.
Furthermore, sports practice can lead veterans with motor disabilities and mental impairments to excel in
some disciplines, giving rise to the phenomenon of the Paralympics and the development of "recreational therapy".
Moreover, outdoor lifestyle, through vitamin D synthesis, and conviviality, improving socialization, could
account for the Mediterranean lifestyle health benefits. In this work, we propose for veterans a Mediterranean
Pyramid, which could be the basis for integrative medicine for veterans with disabilities, patient-centered approaches
and interprofessional (including physical medicine and rehabilitation clinicians, pharmacists and nutritionists)
interventions.
