Nutraceutical-based Integrative Medicine: Adopting a Mediterranean Diet Pyramid for Attaining Healthy Ageing in Veterans with Disabilities

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.

Cite this article as:

Ciccotti Mario , Raguzzini Anna , Sciarra Tommaso , Catasta Giovina, Aiello Paola , Buccolieri Cosimo , Reggi Raffaella , Palmery Maura , Lista Florigio and Peluso Ilaria *, Nutraceutical-based Integrative Medicine: Adopting a Mediterranean Diet Pyramid for Attaining Healthy Ageing in Veterans with Disabilities, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2018; 24 (35) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612824666181003113444