The media recently ran a news story about how the Mediterranean diet can help beat depression - unlike some Mediterranean islands a lot of Menorca restaurants use locally sourced ingredients in their cooking and offer local dishes.

Here is an extract from one of the newspapers:

Eating a Mediterranean diet could help cut the risk of depression by a third.

Tucking into vegetables, fish, nuts and fruit may be the reason scientists found the risk of mental disorders in the Med to be lower than in Northern Europe.

They studied more than 10,000 Spaniards over six years and compared their diets and mental health.

To read the full article click here

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Scientists in Spain are putting forward a new theory as to why some people are obese while others aren’t - pollution.

If it sounds ridiculous, you may not be alone in your incredulity. As implausible as it seems, a Spanish study conducted in Menorca may bear this out. The study focused on the impact that chemical pollution has on the tendency of a fetus to be obese later in life.

Researchers at Barcelona’s Municipal Institute of Medical Research have made a connection between obesity and in-utero exposure to certain chemicals. It concluded that fetuses exposed to these chemicals may be pre-disposed to weight gain in life.

The study measured levels of a pesticide in the umbilical cords of 403 children born in Menorca, Spain. The pesticide is known as hexachlorobenzene, or HCB. Children with the highest recorded levels of HCB in cord blood were twice as likely to be obese by six-and-a-half compared to peers.

Hexachlorobenzene is a fungicide that is used to treat seeds for the disease bunt. However, it is a carcinogen in animals, leading to the obvious supposition that it may affect humans similarly. HCB has been linked in animals to cancers of the thyroid, liver and kidneys.

This connection is likely to add more fuel to the debate on pesticides and their effects on children. The implication is that other pesticides may also be suspect even though HCB has been banned since this test began. Many municipalities and regions around the world have banned the use of pesticides for cosmetic use. Public concern for the welfare of children has trumped the desire of homeowners to have lawns free of crab grass.

Despite these bans, certain pesticides continue to be used for farming applications in many areas worldwide. The results of this Spanish study will probably spark more conversation about balancing the needs of farmers with the rights of children. One needs only to look at past pesticide problems, like those surrounding DDT, to see that history often repeats itself.

In fact, previous studies on other chemicals boost the findings of the HCB study. Similar tests with organotins, bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates produced likewise alarming results. The effects appeared the most devastating in developing fetuses, babies and animals in-utero.

The HCB study was conducted only on children living on the island of Menorca. Debate surrounds the relation of Mediterranean diet (and Menorca-style food in particular) to the results of the study. Mediterranean diet typically relies heavily upon fresh regional fruits and vegetables, local meat (especially lamb, chicken, pork and game birds like quail) and olive oil. Lobster is also a local favourite in Menorca - looking at a Menorca map the island is surrounded by the Mediterranean. True Mediterranean diet is considered by many professionals to be a healthy lifestyle. Mediterranean diet tends to be low in saturated fat and high in fiber as long as processed foods are greatly limited.

Nothing in Mediterranean diet or Menorca cooking habits suggests that the study results are skewed by regional diet factors. It appears that diet plays a minor role, while exposure to chemical pollution may be a bigger factor than ever realized. It may reasonably be assumed that these results would play similarly in most regions of the world.

Hexachlorobenzene is one of the United Nations Environment Programme Governing Council’s “dirty dozen.” This list of chemical pollutants includes HCB, DDT plus 10 other persistent organic pollutants (POPs.) The dirty dozen were banned in 1995. Others have since been added to the list and banned. The Governing Council continues to investigate chemical pollutants. The latest HCB study is one more confirmation of its suspicions regarding HCB.

A new theory has emerged from the medical and scientific community that may help many mothers fight their children’s allergies before they are even born.

Research found that mothers who consumed foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and olive oil could lessen their child’s potential for developing allergies after birth.

The studies observed that a child’s diet had little impact on the prevention of allergies - however, foods the mother ate during pregnancy seemed to have a direct connection to allergy development in their children before seven years of age.

The studies conducted in the island of Menorca followed 500 mothers through six years. The studies followed both mothers who had diets rich in oil and fish and those who had poor diets. The results revealed that children born after a fish-and-oil diet during pregnancy had a 45 percent lower risk of developing most common allergies.

These studies found that mothers who ate diets rich in red meat had an opposite result. Their children’s risks for developing a range of allergies were increased.

These studies are not without controversy, and many American physicians are sceptical of the validity. However, this diet should not be dismissed altogether when mothers are deciding which diet to follow during pregnancy - Australian physicians and scientists are tentatively excited about the finding and many believe the theory that a mother can influence her child�s health, including potential for allergies, was entirely plausible.

Menorca, where the trials were conducted, is the second biggest of the Balearic Islands. Menorca is quieter than neighbouring Majorca and offers far more family friendly activities and attractions. The south side of the island offers plenty of beautiful beaches and resorts, while the northern parts of the island are mostly residential and consist of quiet fishing villages.

Visitors will find plenty of tourist information and a good number of bureaus offering advice to holidaymakers. The visitor has plenty to discover on Menorca. Annual festivals, art celebrations, sightseeing and general exploration await the curious visitor.

The island might be smaller than Majorca, but offers a good number of first class beaches. Menorca has been somewhat sheltered through the years and has avoided the mass commercialisation that often comes with popular tourist destinations. As a result the holidaymakers will not be bombarded with timeshare touts as elsewhere. Menorca welcomes families and is known for providing wholesome activities and entertainment.

Many of the popular attractions in Menorca include such facilities as Es Freginal Park, known for its flower exhibits. Placa Alfons III is a plaza offering the finest in cafes and shops and a massive tourist information center. The Xoriguer Distillery makes several products, but is primarily known for its gin. Visitors are welcome to attend tasting events and are able to purchase the products made on Menorca.

Menorca also offers several amazing churches constructed at various times in history. Visitors are met with gorgeous Gothic architecture and intricately detailed decor that isn’t found anywhere else in the world.

A combination of a great holiday destination and the Mediterranean diet is enough to draw visitors year after year - for good reason.